Dark Angel 2: Devil or Angel
by Northern-Southern Belle
Summary: Having discovered that any children they have will possibly end the world, Selina and Klaus are on the run from the murderous vampire creator Vanessa. But when they discover Selina is pregnant, keeping themselves in hiding becomes all the more difficult.
1. Definite Proof

Disclaimer: Only things not recognized from the show, including the plot, belong to me!

"So," Selina said as she stared out the window of the car at miles and miles of nothing. "Where exactly are we going again?"  
>"I don't know for sure yet," Klaus said. "But I thought we'd stop off at Enid's just so she knows where we are and everything."<br>Selina yawned and stretched out. "Why would she need to know where we are? And why do I feel so tired all of a sudden?"  
>"You just go to sleep," he said. "I'll wake you up again when we get there."<br>Selina shut her eyes. "Okay."  
>He drove for a little while longer, but finally pulled off on the side of the road and left the engine idle. Then he just watched her sleep and ran his fingers through her hair.<br>Finally, Alistair came and tapped on the window. "What's wrong?" He asked. "Did something happen? Did the car break down?"  
>"Oh," Klaus blinked. "No." Suddenly, he felt very silly. He turned the car on again and kept driving.<br>Stay focused, he told himself. Don't let yourself get lost in silliness because then we'll all be in trouble.  
>When they reached Enid's bar, instead of waking her, Klaus carried her inside.<br>"What happened to her?" Enid asked, hurrying over to them. "Don't tell me that Hazel or Vanessa..."  
>"No," Klaus shook his head. "She just fell asleep."<br>"Well no wonder," Enid said. "You can go put her upstairs if you like."  
>When he came back down, Enid said "Can I get you anything? You look like you could use a drink."<br>"Actually," He said, "we're sort of on the run. Hazel decided to leave us be, but I'm still worried about Vanessa. She's already almost killed Selina several times. And I have no doubt she'll keep trying..."  
>"And we can't have Selina getting killed of course," Enid said. "I think it would be best if the two of you stayed here until the baby is born. I can easily keep Vanessa away."<br>"Thank you," Klaus said.

* * *

><p>When Selina opened her eyes, she saw Astrid sitting in a wood chair beside the bed. "Hey," she said. "Are you all right?"<p>

"Yeah," Selina nodded and looked around. "Where am I?"

"We made it to Enid's," Astrid explained. "But you were asleep and Klaus didn't want to wake you so Enid told him to bring you up here and tuck you in."

"Oh," Selina sat up. "Well, don't I feel ridiculous? I'm a little old for naps, aren't I?"

"Well..." Astrid said, "you might want to take one every now and then. It wouldn't hurt you."

"Okay..." Selina got out of bed. "Just where is Klaus, anyway?"

Astrid shrugged, pushing some of her blonde hair out of her eyes. "Downstairs I guess. Do you want me to come down with you?"

Selina nodded. "Sure, I guess. If you'd like to. Were you sitting there the whole time watching me sleep?"

"Not the whole time," Astrid countered, following her down the stairs. "I've only been there for about ten minutes or so. Klaus figured that you'd be waking up soon and he didn't want you to be alone, especially since you weren't aware of where you were."

"Oh," Selina said. "Well, isn't that sweet?"

"Yes," Astrid smiled. "I think it is."

They stepped into the bar and found Klaus and Alistair sitting next to each other and talking. When they saw Selina, they immediately changed the subject. "Hi," Klaus said, coming over to her. "Glad to see you're up. Are you all right?"

"Yes," Selina gave him a look. "Are you? You're acting strange."

"No, I'm not." He appealed to Alistair. "Would you say I'm acting strange?"

"No," Alistair said quickly. He looked at Selina. "What would give you that idea?"

"Well," Selina said, "for starters, he's being way too nice to me. We haven't had a decent fight in who knows how long."

"I do," Alistair said. "The last time he found you here and brought you back."

"Oh, yeah," Selina took a seat at one of the barstools. "Can I drink yet, Pete?" She called.

"No," he shook his head. "What kind of juice can I get you?"

Selina rolled her eyes. "Orange juice, I suppose. Why is it I can't drink anything again? And don't just tell me 'because it's bad for me'. I want an actual answer."

"About what?" Enid asked, coming to join Pete behind the bar.

"Why he won't let me drink anything except juice when he was letting me have rum and Cokes last time I was here," Selina said. "I want to know."

"Why can't we just tell her?" Pete asked Enid.

"I don't think she'd believe us," Enid said. "She'll have to find it out for herself."

"Find _what_ out?" Selina asked. "Will someone please just tell me what's going on?"

But they all ignored her. She took her orange juice and headed back upstairs, tucking herself into bed again. She was close to tears. When she heard the knock on the door, she sat up. "Come in," she called. Klaus entered and looked at her. "I thought I'd find you up here," he said. "What's the matter?"

"Something's going on," she said. "Something's going on and no one's telling me what it is."

"What makes you think something's wrong?" He asked, coming to sit down next to her. "I mean, other than what we _know_ is wrong, with Vanessa chasing after us and everything."

"Stop lying to me," Selina ordered. "Everyone's treating me strangely, like I've suddenly become fragile. I can't drink, and I bet if I asked you to fight me right now, you wouldn't do it."

"Well, no," he said. "I wouldn't."

"Well stop doing that!" She snapped, bursting into tears. "Am I sick? Is there some new disease about that kills werewolves or something? Have I caught it? Am I going to die? Is _that_ why everyone's being so nice to me?"

"No," he began rubbing her back. "Of course that's not it. There's something else, though."

"What?" Selina asked. "What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing is wrong with you," he said. "You're just pregnant. That's all."

Selina's eyes widened and she pulled back from him a little. "Excuse me? I'm...what?"

"You're pregnant," he said.

Selina stood up. "How the hell do you know? How the hell did this happen?" She began pacing around the room. "You mean, right at this very moment I'm pregnant."

"Yes," He nodded. "Enid says you've been for about a month."

"Oh, God," Selina said. "So you mean I was pregnant when Vanessa stabbed me, and when I was almost drowned and-"

"Yes," he nodded.

"Well," she sighed. "That makes me feel real good. How could this have happened?"

"See," he said grinning, "When a mommy and a daddy love each other very much-"

"Oh, shut up!" Selina snapped. "I know how it _happened_. I'm not an idiot. This is what I get for forgetting to take my pills one night."

"You seem surprised," he said. "I would have thought that it would be inevitable, based on the miles we've put on our mattress."

"Not funny," Selina said.

"I wasn't _trying_ to be funny," He said. "I was just making a point."

Selina sat down on the bed and ran her fingers through her hair. "I know," she said. "I know."

"That's mainly why Vanessa's after us," Klaus said. "She wants to get rid of you and the baby."

"Wonderful," Selina flopped back onto the mattress. "A surprise pregnancy and a price on my head all in the same day. Could it get any better?"

"I don't want you leaving here," he said. "We can't take any chances."

"You can't do that," Selina said. "You can't just tell me how I'm supposed to live my life. That's none of your damn business, is it?"

"You don't have leverage for that anymore!" He snapped. "You've nearly been killed twice and I'm not going to risk that happening again just because you have some misguided notion that you know better! Do you realize how hard it was to watch Vanessa stab you?" He asked. "Or what is was like when I pulled your unconscious body from the water? You weren't even breathing! How many times are you going to make me do that before it finally hits home to you that there are beings out there that want you dead and will stop at nothing to make sure they do what they set out to do and they do it well?"

For once, Selina was stunned into silence. She couldn't think of anything to say to that. He just gazed at her self-righteously until she finally found her voice again. "Can we compromise?" She asked finally. "If I promise to have you, or Alistair or Astrid with me, can I leave the house every once in awhile? Not even every day, just every once in awhile."

"All right," he said at last. "But you really do have to swear that you'll have someone with you at all times and that you'll come right back and tell Enid or that bartender where you're going before you leave."

"Okay," Selina said, keeping her eyes on him. "I promise." She stood up and walked over to him, putting her arms around him. "I really do promise."

* * *

><p>And life continued in that manner for the next couple of months. Finally, one morning, after waking up at two am and locking herself in the bathroom to throw up until she was sure there was nothing left in her and then feeling so tired and achy that she slept nearly until noon, she went to Astrid and Alistair's room to ask if Astrid would come with her to the store.<p>

"Sure," Astrid asked. "But for what? Medicine? You don't look so well."

"No," Selina shook her head. "Not medicine. A pregnancy test."

"But you already know that you're pregnant," Astrid told her as they waited for Enid so they could tell her where they were going. "Why do you need to take a test to prove it?"

"I don't know," Selina shrugged. "I guess it would be nice to just have some scientific proof, you know?"

"You've been up for awhile, haven't you?" Astrid asked.

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "Nausea at 2 am." She rolled her eyes. "Not the best way to start the day."

Enid approached the bar. "What's going on? Did you want to go out?" She asked Selina.

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "I need to go pick something up at the store."

"All right," Enid nodded. "Be careful. Do you want me to have a cup of tea waiting for you when you get back?"

"Sure," Selina nodded. "Thanks."

She and Astrid left the club and headed to the nearest supermarket where they bought the pregnancy test and then went back to the bar to check it out.

"Okay," Selina said. "I got one of the ones with the digital readout instead of the color stripe." She and Astrid stared down at it. Eventually, a word showed up on the screen: Pregnant.

"Well," Astrid said, "Now you know."


	2. Ares

Selina stared down at the word **pregnant**. "Yeah," she said, looking at Astrid. "Now I know." She plodded out of the bathroom. "Are you all right?" Astrid asked.  
>Selina nodded and lay down on her bed. "Of course I'm all right," she said. "I've known for months. But what happens now?"<br>Astrid shrugged. "I don't know. But how about we go get that tea Enid said she was going to make for you, huh? That'll cheer you up."  
>Selina sat up. "Yeah, sure. Of course it will."<br>They went back down to the bar. "So?" Enid said, pushing two steaming tea cups at them. "What's the verdict?"  
>"It's yes," Selina said. "But you already knew that."<br>Enid nodded. "I did." She watched as Selina drank her tea. "So what are you going to do now?" She asked.  
>Selina put her teacup down. "I think I just need to sleep is all."<br>She gulped down the rest of her tea and headed back upstairs, tucking herself in again.  
>"Are you really all right?" Astrid asked.<br>"Yes," Selina nodded. "I am...kinda...sorta...not."  
>"What's the matter?" Astrid asked.<br>"I'm not ready for this!" Selina burst out. "I can't be anybody's mother!"  
>"What do you mean?" Astrid asked. "Of course you can."<br>"No," Selina shook her head. "No, I can't."  
>She looked down at herself and then strode over to the chest of drawers where she found the little silver dagger almost immediately. She pulled it out of the dresser and with tears running down her cheeks, turned back to Astrid, holding the knife over her heart.<br>"They were right," She said. "This is wrong. Why don't I just kill myself now and save Hazel and Vanessa the trouble."

"Don't!" Astrid cried. "Put the knife down and get back in bed. Take deep breaths. _Relax_." She was eyeing Selina as if she were a wild animal who had gotten loose.

"Why should I?" Selina said, the knife moving perilously closer to her heart. "It's not like anyone's going to miss me if I go. Our kid's gonna hate me."

"You don't know that." Astrid told her. "How do you know that?"

"Well," Selina said, "it just makes sense, right? I mean, I'm no fun. And nobody likes people who aren't fun. I'm gonna have to be the bad guy. Klaus is going to be telling our kid all about being evil and taking over the world and doing whatever the hell they want, and what does that leave me? The discipline, the restraint. I'm always going to be the one who says no."

"Put the knife down," Astrid repeated. "You don't have to do this. It isn't going to be that way."

Selina watched her for a moment and then threw the knife down. Astrid let out her breath. "Good," she said. "That was good."

Selina grabbed some glass figurines off the bedside table and flung them down to the floor with loud crashes. She grabbed Klaus' lighter out from under the bed and set the curtains ablaze. She began overturning furniture.

Astrid finally grabbed hold of her and tried to keep her still, but she picked up the knife again and plunged it into Astrid's shoulder. Blood welled up on Astrid's shirt and she let her go and crumpled to the floor.

Just then, Enid charged into the room, followed by Pete. "What in the world is going on?" Enid cried. "Pete, go downstairs and get some water to put that fire out."

"Yeah," Pete nodded, running from the room. "Sure."

Once he was gone, Enid turned to face Selina. "All right dear," she said. "You need to calm down now. Let's sit down and talk about this."

"Don't touch me!" Selina cried. Her eyes were wild. "You do and you'll be sorry!"

"All right," Enid backed away to sit down on the bed. "I won't touch you, but I still want you to talk to me."

Selina took a deep breath. "What's all the point of this?" She asked. "I mean really?"

"What's the point of what?" Enid asked.

"This!" Selina cried, gesturing around the room. "Living! Life! I mean, I'm no good at it. Everyone wants to kill me, but who the hell wants to keep me alive? What good am I to anybody?"

"You're good to lots of people," Enid said calmly. "And lots of people want to keep you alive and would be very sad if you were gone."

"Oh, yeah?" Selina sneered. "Like who?"

"Me for instance," Pete said, coming into the room with the fire extingusher and spraying it on the curtain, which was charred and smoldering.

"Really?" Selina asked.

"Well yeah," Pete nodded. "It's a nice break pouring a glass of juice for a pretty woman several times a day when the rest of my clientele are rowdy drunks."

"So will you calm down now, please?" Enid asked. "Whatever's wrong, we can make it right."

Selina nodded. "Okay." She sat down on the bed and Enid put her arms around her. "Now," she said, "what's the matter?"

Selina started crying. "My baby's not going to love me!" She sobbed. "I can't be anybody's mother! I'm not stable enough!"

"Look at me," Enid said. "This isn't you. It's the hormones talking. They're making you crazy. You're a sweet, wonderful, bold person. Your baby is going to love you. It's not going to have any choice! You're its mother!"

"That doesn't mean anything," Selina sniffled. "The whole reason why I'm here is that I had a fight with my mother. We never got along. And Klaus doesn't get on well with his mother either, so how will my relationship with my kid be any different?"

"It just will," Enid said calmly. "You lived your life in a way that was disappointing for you. Your mother was in denial about her werewolf heritage and you suffered for it. _You_ clearly aren't in denial about it."

"No," Selina shook her head. "I'm not."

"And that's the big difference," Enid said. "You won't be afraid to let your child be what they are. You'll be able to help them deal with it and cope instead of having it all just build up and turn into something destructive."

Selina looked up at her, tears tracking down her face. "You know, you're right." She said. "I never thought of it that way."

"Yeah," Enid said.

Selina wiped tears from her eyes and looked sheepishly around the room. "Sorry about all this," she said.

"Oh," Enid shook her head dismissively. "I've had much worse happen here, trust me. You get a crowd of drunken and rowdy werewolves in one space and you won't believe the destruction that can happen."

Pete carried Astrid downstairs and tended to her wounds, a sight that alarmed Alistair when he and Klaus arrived back at the bar later that day.

"What happened here?" Alistair cried.

"It was Selina," Pete said. "She had a little upset this afternoon."

"She tried to kill herself," Astrid said. "But I stopped her."

"What?" Klaus' eyes widened. "Is she all right? Where is she?"

He charged up the stairs and found Selina sitting in bed. He looked around at the overturned furniture, shards of broken glass and charred curtains. "I bet you're glad you weren't here earlier today," Selina said. "Otherwise, this might've been you."

"Yes," Klaus nodded. "I consider myself lucky. What happened?"

Selina shrugged. "I don't really know what it was," she said. "I got to thinking about how things were going to be once the baby came, you know, how we were going to raise it and stuff, and, this is going to sound really stupid, but I got this idea in my head that I was going to be a horrible parent and that our kid was going to like you better than me."

"Well that's ridiculous," Klaus said. "Why would you think that?"

"I think you know," Selina said. "You're the fun one. I'm the boring one. That's how it is."

Klaus shook his head. "That's not true. You've come a long way since I started working with you."

Selina grinned. "I suppose."

"We're going to do this together," Klaus said. "He'll see you both as a rule person and as fun. Me too."

"You're going to have rules?" Selina said skeptically. "And what do you mean by 'he'? It could be a girl, you know."

Klaus shook his head. "No. It's not."

"It could be," Selina said.

"No," Klaus shook his head. "No, it's not. Just out of curiousity, can I call my mother and tell her..."

"No," Selina cut him off. "No one is finding out anything until after the baby's born, unless you want a repeat of our second wedding."

"No," Klaus said. "I definitely don't want that."

* * *

><p>A month later, Selina was sitting at the bar drinking her morning juice when Enid flagged her down. "Is Klaus around?" She asked.<p>

Selina nodded. "I think so. Why?"

"Well," Enid said, "I've heard the debates you two have been having and you're far enough along now that I can give you a definitive answer."

"What?" Selina asked. "You mean you can tell us whether we're having a girl or a boy?"

"Yes," Enid said. "Would right now work for you?"

"Sure!" Selina gulped down the rest of her juice and went in search of Klaus. She found him playing poker with Alistair in one of the back rooms. "Enid says I'm far enough along now that she can tell us what we're having. Do you want to find out?"

"I don't have to find out," Klaus said, putting his cards down and standing up. "I already know."

Selina rolled her eyes. "You do not."

He just grinned again and she rolled her eyes, leading him out of the card room and back to the main bar to meet Enid. "All right," Klaus said when they were all sitting down. "Tell her that it's going to be a boy."

"It is." Enid said immediately.

"What?" Selina said. "You're just saying that because he _told _you to say that!"

"No," Enid shook her head. "You really _are _having a boy."

Selina stood up. "All right then. Good to know." She left the room and Klaus followed her out. "What did I tell you?"

"Don't gloat," Selina said. "It's not attractive."

"Somebody's a sore loser," he grinned, putting his arms around her.

"I won't deny I'm a little deflated," she admitted. She sighed. "I guess that if you _swear_ Elijah won't tell your mother anything, you can call him and tell him the good news."

"Thank you," he said. "What are _you_ going to do?"

"I'm going to get another juice," she said. "Then I'll pull out my knitting needles and make something up."

Klaus spent the rest of the day talking with Elijah after telling him the good news. He was in a good mood.

At least he was, until he woke up that night and found that Selina was missing.


	3. Born to be Wild

Klaus stared down at the empty space beside him. He began breathing hard. Where was she? She couldn't be missing. He pulled the blankets aside, threw on a pair of pants and stepped out into the hallway. The club was deserted now. There was no one awake but him. He thought of rousing Alistair and Astrid, but then decided to try and handle this on his own. He fumbled around in the hallway for a light switch and stubbed his toe on a stool that was situated near the stairway. Cursing, he straightened up and made his way down the stairs, repeatedly calling Selina's name. No response. When he reached the main bar, he was breathing heavily. He stood just inside the room and heard crunching amidst the silence. He strode toward the bar and peered on the other side. "Oh, my god," He rolled his eyes and ran his fingers through his hair. Selina looked up from where she was sitting and shoveling potato chips into her mouth. Judging from the empty bags of cookies and chips and candy wrappers that surrounded her, he knew that this was the latest in a long parade of snacks. "What are you doing?" He asked.

She stood up. "I was hungry," she said, bits of chip flying from her mouth and hitting the bar. She wiped them off and he winced. "What some?" She held the bag out.

He shook his head. "How long have you been in here eating?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe an hour. I would have told you where I was going but you were asleep and I didn't want to wake you."

"Well you should have," he snapped. "I was worried sick about you. I thought you'd run away or been kidnapped or-"

She pulled a bag of blood out from behind the bar and began sucking on it. "I would have screamed if that happened."

"The point is, you can't just leave without telling me where you're going," he said.

"Even if I still stay in the building?" She asked.

"Yes," He nodded, boosting himself over the bar. "Even if you stay in the building."

"Well fine," She said. "Why don't you just put a tracker collar on me. It'll make things a hell of a lot easier for you."

"Maybe I was thinking about that," he said. "Seeing as how you have a habit of bringing misfortune on yourself which I then have to fix."

She rolled her eyes. "Okay fine," she said. "I'll tell you if I go anywhere. Jeez."

"Are you done eating?" He asked.

She kicked some of the wrappers around. "I guess so. For now."

"All right," He gestured for her to precede him. "Let's go back to bed then."

"I'm not tired," she complained. "I hurt too much."

"Do you?" He asked. "Well we'll see if we can't fix that."

* * *

><p>They got back to their bedroom and Selina shed her robe, climbed into bed and sighed. "Take your best shot," she said. "I feel like I've been hit by a truck."<p>

"You haven't been sleeping well, have you?" He asked.

"Gee," she snapped. "You think?" She groaned and shifted position on the bed.

"Let me guess," He said. "This is somehow my fault?"

"Yes it is," She nodded vigorously. "I couldn't end up like this by myself, could I?"

"I could give you a back massage," he said.

"No," She shook her head and clutched a pillow in front of her body like a shield. "You don't touch me."

"You just told me to!" He said.

"Well now I'm telling you not to." She turned away from him. "Goodnight."

He sighed and rolled his eyes. "Fine," he said, laying down facing away from her. "Goodnight."

* * *

><p>Selina picked up the kitchen trash can which was full of candy and chip wrappers and went to the garage to empty it out. She'd just finished the two dozen chocolate chip cookies she'd made earlier in the day, and had no idea what to do now. Her stomach rumbled. She'd have to bake something else. She grabbed her keys and ran to the store, buying the ingridients for several batches of peanut butter brownies and putting them in the backseat of her car. Then, an idea struck her. A wicked, naughty,<em> evil<em> idea. She giggled to herself and drove home, putting all the brownie ingridients into the refrigerator, and then headed to the mall where she bought a white lace bra and panty set.  
>When she got back to the house, she looked up at the clock. It was 2 in the afternoon. Good, she still had an hour and a half until Klaus usually got back. She made up one batch of brownies and arranged them neatly in the cake display on the kitchen table. Then, she went and got in her new underwear and began making up a second batch of brownie batter. She was just giving it a stir when she heard the front door open.<br>"Where are you?" Klaus called. "I'm back!"  
>"In the kitchen!" Selina yelled back.<br>He began walking toward the kitchen. He was talking to someone on the phone, Selina assumed Elijah. But when he saw her, he started, his eyes widened, and he immediately snapped his phone shut.  
>"Hi," She said, grinning.<br>"Hi," he said. "Should I feel a tad overdressed?"  
>She put the bowl of brownie batter down and glided toward him. "You know," she said, unbuttoning his shirt. "I think you should."<br>She began unbuttoning his shirt and slowly peeled it off him, planting kisses down his stomach, stopping just about his belly button.  
>He growled. "Why stop there?" he asked.<br>She looked up at him. "I wouldn't dream of it."  
>She undid his pants and watched them fall to the floor. "Well somebody's happy to see me," she said.<br>He took her in his arms and began to kiss her. "Wait," she said. "Wait and be patient. You'll get your turn."  
>He made another sound, deep in his throat as she began planting kisses down his shaft. When she reached the bottom, she pulled away a little. "You know," she said, her voice hoarse. "Before you got here, I was hungery and I couldn't decide whether I wanted something sweet or salty," she went over to the bowl of brownie batter and began smearing it liberally over his member. "I guess I can have both now." And then she slowly began sucking it off while he sank to floor and waited for the explosion. It came and hit him hard. Everything around him seemed to shatter.<p>

When he was once again aware of his surroundings, he eased himself up a little bit and looked down at Selina who was resting his chin on her stomach. "You wicked tease," he said, grinning. "Where did _that_ all come from?"

She grinned. "I don't know. Just a little idea I had. So," She raised an eyebrow. Would you like to have a go at me? I'm rested."

He grinned. "How could I turn down an offer like that?"

He began nipping her neck and she giggled, but as he eased off her bra, she said "wait just a minute!"

"What?" He asked, hating the delay.

"We can't do it in here!" She said.

"Why not?" He asked.

"Because we eat in here," she said promptly. "It's not sanitary."

"And what do you call what you just did to me?" he asked.

"Oh," she said flippantly, "t_hat _was eating."

"Seriously?" He asked.

"Yes," she nodded. "Now are we moving or not? I can't believe you're arguing with me about this now."

"Well," he said, "You're being _silly_."

"Oh, really?" She stood up and slowly peeled off her panties while he watched and then stood in front of him with her hands on her hips. "Now how silly am I being?"

He just stared at her for a moment. Then he stood up and eased her against the kitchen counter.

"Hey," she protested. "Just what do you think you're doing? It'll be so much easier doing this in bed. Please?"

He sighed and picked her up, carrying her to the bedroom and gently tossing her onto the mattress so she bounced a little and had to grasp the side so she wouldn't go to the edge. "Now," he said, leaning over her. "Where were we?"

"Well I don't know," Selina said. "You tell me."

"I'll be back in a minute," he said and returned with the batter.

She grinned. "It's really good, "I promise."

He smeared it over her stomach and breasts and licked it off as she'd done to him, and then ducked under the covers, moving his tongue around inside her. She gasped and squeaked, gripping the sides of the bed while she bucked forward. After he tasted one part of her, he moved upward, leisurely sucking on her breasts and kissing her collarbone. When he reached her lips, he kissed her deeply and slowly, gently eased into her.

"Are you all right?" he whispered to her.

"Yes," she gasped, teetering on the edge of release. "You work me hard enough and this could be my first decent night's sleep in three months!"

He grinned as she came, clutching him tightly as if she had nothing else firm in the world to hold on to.

She was right. He managed to completely wear her out. He watched her sleep and pushed her damp hair away from her face. He loved her, there was no doubt about that, and he knew that he would kill anyone who tried to hurt her. That was what he knew for certain.

* * *

><p>The next morning, they both opened their eyes at the same time. "Good morning, she who has talents that were heretofore previously unknown to me," he said.<p>

Selina blushed a little. "Oh, stop. I wasn't even that good!"

His eyes widened. "You mean you're holding out on me? You can do _better_ than that?"

"Well," she said, "when you live at a circus, you learn things."

He stared at her in amazement. "What? I don't believe this. You put on this front as this insecure little _lady_ when there's actually a bad girl in there." He grinned. "_A _very bad girl."

She grinned and got out of bed. "Well I don't want to give away _all_ of my secrets."

He followed her into the shower and then they dressed and headed downstairs where Enid sat at the bar. She glanced at them knowingly. "You seem awake this morning," she observed.

"Yeah," she nodded. "I just have all this energy all of a sudden."

"Your werewolf side's taking over now that you're in your fourth month," Enid explained. "For the next three, you will mostly either eat or...what I assume the two of you did last night."

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "We did. Did we keep you awake?"

"No," Enid shook her head. "This place has soundproof walls." She looked at them. "I know we have to be careful about you two because of Vanessa and everything, but you don't want to stay here forever, do you? There's a nice big house down the road that's for sale. Why don't you go have a look at it?"

"Sure," Selina shrugged. "Why not? Looking couldn't hurt. And I admit it would be nice to have our own place again."

"House down the road?" Pete askd. "You don't mean the Hoyt Mansion?"

"Why are you saying it like that, Pete? Is there something wrong with the house?" Selina asked.

"Not really," Enid said quickly. "Some people just think it's haunted, that's all."

"We'll go and take a look at it tomorrow," Klaus said immediately.


	4. Little Boy Lost

"I can't believe we're even going to look at this house," Selina rolled her eyes. She and Klaus were walking Rusty and he'd decided that since it was on their way, then why not go have a look?

"What's the problem with the house?" He asked. "Are you scared of the ghost?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "I don't believe in ghosts. They don't exist."

He grinned. "That means a lot coming from a vampire/werewolf hybrid. And you read ghost stories all the time, so I just figured-"

"I don't read ghost stories because I believe in ghosts," Selina said. "I read ghost stories because I think they're an interesting way to learn the history of a particular place."

"Oh," he nodded. "I get it."

"Yeah," she said.

They found the house, a gothic manor not unlike the ones in the books Selina had loved in the past, such as Thornfield Hall and Manderley. She only hoped that they didn't have the same dark secrets that those mansions harbored.

"Are we going in?" She blinked when he nudged her lightly in the back. "There doesn't seem to be anyone around," she said went she got up to the front door. "Do you even think they're selling the place? Maybe Enid was wrong."

Klaus pushed open the front door. "Look," he said. "It's unlocked."

Selina's eyes widened. "We can't just go in there!"

"Yes we can," he said. "And if no one's there, it'll give us a chance to get a really good look at the place."

She reluctanly took up Rusty's leash again and followed Klaus inside.

"Wow," she said, coughing. "This place doesn't look like it's been cleaned in _ages_." She waved some dust away with her hand and Rusty sneezed.

The room they were in had once been a sitting room, but now the large chairs were covered in cobwebs and fabric that was faded, as well as a thick blanket of dust.

"You think they would have cleaned this place out before they put it on the market," Selina said. "That just makes me think that it's not even for sale and that we shouldn't be in here."

"Well why would Enid say the place is for sale if it isn't?" Klaus asked.

Selina shrugged. "Oh, I don't know." They walked around all the other rooms on the ground floor and then went upstairs.

"These are mostly all bedrooms, I think," Selina said. They opened the first door they saw and came face to face with heavy cherrywood furniture and a large, canopy bed covered in red velvet, including the curtains that obscured the actual bed from view. "Oh, my god," Selina said excitedly, pulling Rusty after her to get closer. "I've always _wanted _a canopy bed!"

Klaus pulled the curtains aside. "How cozy," he said. "Silk sheets."

"Really?" Selina ran her hands over them. "You're right," she said.

They looked up at one another. "You know," she said, "I was just thinking..."

"What?" He grinned. "What were you thinking? As if I need to ask."

She slipped Rusty's leash off her wrist and boosted herself into the bed. He came up after her. They were both on their knees and gazing into one another's eyes. "Should we?" He asked.

She leaned forward and nipped his bottom lip. "What's stopping us?"

The nip turned into a deep kiss and she eased him underneath her. "Do you have any problems with me being on top?" She asked.

"After yesterday, not really," he said. She leaned over him and slowly undid her buttons, throwing her shirt on the floor. Then her bra, and then he got her out of her jeans and panties and she did the same for him, slowly stroking him as he kissed her.

He moaned and was just about to come when she stopped stroking him, turning her head away. "What was that?" She asked. "I heard something."

He moved her hand back where she'd had it. "It was probably nothing," he said. "Keep rubbing, keep touching."

She shook her head and pulled her hand away. "Just a minute," she said, rolling over to a sitting position. "I really think there's somebody out there!" She shoved the curtains aside and transformed. Klaus wanted to follow her and make sure she didn't hurt herself, but at that point, movement was kind of difficult, so he stayed where he was.

She padded out of the room, hearing the voices.

"...This house was built in the 1890s by a wealthy steel magnate named Julius Hoyt," a woman with short, dark hair wearing a red suit was leading a group of people carrying clipboards around the house. "He lived here with his wife Ann and their children Steven, Henrietta and Adrian."

"Adrian," said the man in the front. "Is it his ghost that supposedly haunts the house?"

"I can assure you that this house isn't haunted by anyone, especially not a sweet little boy like Adrian Hoyt."

"Too bad," said the blonde woman directly behind her. "A haunted house could bring in lots of money from tourists."

"And we _do_ need it," the tour guide admitted, sighing. "All right, you can put in the papers that the place is haunted."

"When are you planning on opening this place as a tourist site?" asked an older, balding gentleman in a suit that was slightly rumpled.

"We'll be open for business next week," the tour guide said. "We just need to get a crew in here to clean up all the dust and the cobwebs."

Selina growled and sprung. Her sudden appearance caused the group to spring and drop their clipboards, scattering in all directions. She left the tour guide be for a moment and ran after everybody else. It took her about an hour, but eventually, everyone was dead. Then, she went back to the tour guide and transformed back as the woman cowered on the floor.

"What do you want?" She whimpered.

"The keys, please," Selina said, the blood of the last person she killed still dripping from her mouth.

"Are you going to kill me too?" The woman asked.

"Yes," Selina nodded. "But give me the keys first."

Slowly and with a shaking hand, the woman removed a ring of keys from her purse and handed them to Selina. Then, Selina ripped her throat out and sucked her dry. Taking a deep, satisfied breath once the woman was empty, Selina stood up and ran back to Klaus.

"So," he said, "did you get what you want?"

"Yeah," Selina nodded, climbing back into bed. "I got the keys. This is our house now!"

"Good," he winced.

"Oh," she grinned and got back under the covers, stroking him some more before he finally came and bit her neck. She giggled as he lapped the blood up and then he kissed her and entered her so slowly that she moaned. "Faster," she breathed.

"No," he said, his breath ruffling her hair. She leaned up and put her arms around his neck, nipping under his chin and running her hand down his torso. He brought her slowly back down on the bed, pulled out and pushed in again. She cried out and bucked forward, grinding against him. "One more time," she said.

He growled. "All right," he said. This time, the force of her release shook her deeply. She lost track of where she was for a moment. Then, she felt something strange. "Oh, my god," she said.

"What?" He said quickly. "Are you okay? Did something happen?"

"I don't know," she said. "I just felt something weird."

"Like what?" He asked

"There it is again," she said after a moment. "I think it's the baby kicking!"

"What?" He was so surprised that he accidently pulled out a little too quickly causing her to scream again.

"Watch it!" she cried. "That hurt!"

"Sorry!" He said. "Are you sure the baby's kicking now?"

She nodded. "I think so." She placed his hand on her stomach. "Feel," she commanded. Sure enough, he felt it. "There really is a baby in there," he said in surprise.

The mood had changed. Selina sat up, and got out of the bed, dressing quickly. They left the bedroom after that.

"No wonder it took you so long to get back," Klaus said, looking in surprise at all the bodies that were strewn about. "You were a busy woman."

"Well it's not my fault they showed up and interrupted my fun when I happened to be hungry," Selina said with a sniff. "Now let's go and tell Alistair and Astrid that we got a new house."

And after locating Rusty, that's just what they did.

* * *

><p>"We just got a house!" Selina crowed as she and Klaus ran into Alistair and Astrid's room.<br>"What do you mean you 'got a house'?" Alistair asked, eyebrow raised.  
>"Exactly what I said," Selina told him. "What else would I mean?"<br>"Was money legitimately exchanged, or were people compelled and killed?" Alistair asked her.  
>Selina's eyes widened. "Well that hurts," She said. "I can't believe you would ask me something like that. I mean, I can understand why you'd ask <em>him<em>," she said, looking at Klaus. "Cause he's you know, _him_ and all, but I'm above reproach!"  
>"Now just a minute," Klaus cried. "People died and <em>she<em> did it! I'm completely innocent this time!"  
>"Should we believe that?" Astrid asked.<br>"Actually, I think I do." Alistair said.  
>"So what?" Selina said. "Do you want me to go to my room and think about what I did?"<br>"Yes," Alistair nodded.  
>Klaus snickered as he followed Selina to their room. "Looks to me like somebody got in trouble!"<br>Selina glared at him. "I hate you so much," she said. "You've completely destroyed all my credibility."  
>He shrugged. "What can I say? I'm a bad influence."<p>

"Wait!" Alistair called to Klaus from the bottom of the stairs. "You can't go with her. I want you down here where I can see you!"

Groaning, Klaus went back down stairs, turning once he reached the bottom to stare longingly at Selina's butt. "Why can't I go?" He whined. "I want her."

"I applaud you for being monogamus, but she did something bad and now she has to accept the consequences."

"But I didn't do anything bad," he said, fidgeting a little. "So why should I be punished?"

"If you asked me," Astrid said, "a little restraint would be good for both of you."

Klaus rolled his eyes. "Fine," he said.

Once he was gone, Alistair and Astrid looked at one another. "I can't believe they're going to have a child," Astrid said. "They're nothing more than children themselves! I shudder to think how their child is going to grow up."

"Actually," Alistair said, "I _will_ say that Selina's usually much more mature than she's acting right now. So much so that I actually don't mind her being childish. And that's only because of the pregnancy. After the baby's born, she'll go back to normal, and thus any bad effects Klaus has on the boy will be counteracted, thankfully."

"Why is it," Astrid asked, "that the people who are least fit to have children are always the most fertile?"

Alistair shrugged. "Nature's joke on humanity, I guess."

* * *

><p>An hour or so later, Klaus realized that Alistair and Astrid were nowhere in sight and he snuck upstairs to see Selina. He found her at the little card table, her forehead on it, her shoulders shaking. "Hey," Klaus said. "Mom and Dad are gone, so why don't we take advantage of the opportunity to have a little fun?" As she sat up, still facing away from him, he began kissing her neck, but she shrugged him off. "No!" she said. "Stop!" She turned to face him. Her face was red and puffy from crying and there were tear tracks down her cheeks.<p>

"What's the matter?" he asked.

"I did a bad thing," she said. "I shouldn't have killed those people."

"Yes, you should have!" He said. "You were hungry and they were in the way."

"That's no excuse," Selina shook her head vigorously. "I should have controlled myself."

"You're pregnant," he said. "You need to eat and do everything that you're doing. Your killing those people wasn't your fault."

"But Alistair said-"

"Alistair," Klaus broke in, "has no idea what the hell he's talking about. And now that we have a new house, we don't have to put up with him anymore. We can leave!"

She stopped crying and stood up. "You know, you're right," she said. "Let's go." He led her down the stairs and they ran into Alistair at the bottom. "What happened?" he asked, looking at Selina.

"You made her cry," Klaus narrowed his eyes at him. "I hope you feel really good about yourself. We'll be leaving for our new house now. We won't be coming back, so don't wait up."

Alistair and Astrid watched them leave and then looked at each other.

"How long until we follow them?" Astrid asked.

"Let's wait a couple of days," Alistair said. "It'll make them think they won something."

* * *

><p>That night, Selina and Klaus decided to watch the original <em>Dracula <em>on television. Klaus turned all the lights off and every single time the heroine was in danger he would lurk menacingly behind the sofa and grab her shoulders, making her jump. The first time, she accidently punched him in the eye. The second time, the force of her jump sent the popcorn bowl flying over her head, sending popcorn kernels all over the floor. And when he tried it a third time, she said, "If you even _think _about doing that again, I will hurt you. Now just sit down and watch the damn movie, okay?"

He rolled his eyes. "Oh, all right." He sat down next to her and when he did the stretch to put his arm around her shoulders, she went willingly and snuggled against him.

"Do you think Alistair and Astrid are going to come after us?" Selina asked as she offered him the bowl of popcorn.

"I don't doubt it," he said. "But they'll probably wait a couple of days."

He put a hand on her stomach. "I think the baby likes the movie."

"When I was listening to the tour group today, the lady who was doing all the talking said something about the ghost," Selina told him. "She said it was a little boy named Adrian Hoyt."

"I don't think the place is haunted," Klaus said. "I think they're making it up."

Selina wasn't so sure.

Just before bedtime, under the pretense of getting something out that she'd left in the car, Selina explored the house again. She discovered a door in the back of one of the bedroom closets that contained a staircase leading to the attic. Slowly and carefully, she climbed the stairs and opened the door.

The attic was as dusty and dirty as everywhere else in the house. But it was a strange room. In one corner, there was a wrought iron bed with white sheets and a single pillow. Next to that, a dresser and a sink. She pulled out some boxes that were full of dusty old toys and on an old blackboard, written in a shaky hand in white chalk, was the name "Adrian."

"It's true then," she whispered. She turned on her heel and walked out the door, not bothering to close it.

* * *

><p>That night, Selina had trouble sleeping. She thrashed about and couldn't relax. She kept hearing what sounded like a prolonged dragging noise coming from the attic, followed by a thump. This went on all night. In the morning, the noises stopped, but when she looked at the pad of paper by the phone, every sheet had the name "Adrian" written on it in the same shaky script that had been on the chalkboard in the attic. Finally, when she came into the kitchen and found everything thrown out of the cupboards, she left the house and went down to the public library. "Hi," she said to the reference librarian. "Could I have some information on Adrian Hoyt, please?"<p>

The librarian looked at her knowingly. "Just moved into the house, didn't you?" She asked. "This is how it started with all the others. They came in here asking for information, and then after a few nights, the house is up for sale again. Which is really too bad. Somebody needs to reach out to him." She pulled a book out from behind the counter and pushed it at Selina. "There you go," she said. "Enjoy it."

Selina took the book to one of the private reading rooms and read it from cover to cover. By the time she finished it, she was in tears. Adrian had died when he was just five years old, murdered by his father, steel magnate Cornelius Hoyt. Adrian had been born as perfect as any boy could be, but an auto accident at the age of three had broken his leg and foot badly and neither had been set and healed properly. As a result, he walked from then on with a strange, limping gait and each step came down hard on the ground or floor. That would explain the noises she'd heard last night.

From the first day after the accident, life in the Hoyt family changed. Where they had once been well adjusted and happy, now things were tense. Cornelius made it his mission to "fix" Adrian's so called deformity and would beat him soundly with a whip or his fists whenever he limped. Adrian eventually became so scared around his father that the once bright and chatty boy became shy, withdrawn and silent. His father locked him in the attic and told neighbors he died. Finally, one day after two years of neglect, Cornelius seemed to have changed thoughts again. He offered to take Adrian fishing on the nearby lake. Excited, the boy went with his father. But when they were alone, Cornelius threw the boy overboard. Unable to swim well because of his leg, Adrian drowned. They pulled up his body three days later. The death was ruled an accident.

It was not long after the death of his father that Adrian's ghost appeared in the house. At that point, it's only occupant was his sister Henrietta, with whom he'd been very close. She found his presence comforting, but she didn't know what to do to help him move on. He'd been in the house ever since.

Selina decided she had to help him. But how to start?

She got her answer that night, when she was awakened and saw a small boy with blond hair and deep, sunken eyes, wearing a sailor suit, standing next to her bed.


	5. Letting the Cat Out

Selina blinked and stared up at him. "Oh, my god," she said. "Who are you?"  
>The boy said nothing, and just continued staring at her. The temperature in the room had dropped considerably and Selina had to clutch the sheet around herself to keep from freezing. She turned away from the boy for a moment to look at Klaus. Unbelievably, he was still asleep. She turned back to the boy.<br>"What do you want?" She whispered. He moved now, toward the door with that strange, thumping gait of his. Remembering what Klaus had told her about her leaving, she gently roused him.  
>"What?" he asked sleepily.<br>"I have to run to the kitchen," she whispered. "I'm not getting kidnapped or anything."  
>He his gaze was unfocused. "All right," he said and fell asleep again. She pulled a robe on and followed the ghost boy. They walked through miles and miles of hallway until they reached the stairway that led to the attic. Carefully, she ascended the steps after him. The attic door opened slowly and when they were both inside, the atmosphere seemed to change. The room, which had previously been dusty and dull, became bright and full of light and color. The boy solidified, became a real person. Selina took a seat at one of the little tables and looked at him again.<br>"What do you want?" She repeated. He picked up a piece of chalk and wrote slowly on the blackboard "Adrian."  
>"You're Adrian?" Selina whispered.<br>The boy nodded.  
>He went to the toy chest and pulled out two bears. Then, he walked over to her table and handed her one while he took the other. "Do you want to play?" She asked.<br>He nodded.

* * *

><p>They played until the sun shone in through the windows. Then, Selina looked sorrowfully at Adrian. "I have to go now," she said. She went over to the door and then felt a tug on the skirt of her nightgown. She turned. Adrian was holding his arms out.<br>"You want a hug," she said, putting her arms around him. He squeezed surprisingly tight for a person with no body mass. When he let her go, she went down the stairs and into the kitchen where Klaus sat waiting for her.  
>"That must have been some snack you had last night," he told her. "You didn't even come back to bed."<br>"Well," she said carefully, "I ate, and then I realized the kitchen was a mess, so I cleaned everything up, and then I thought it would be easier to just sleep on the sofa."  
>"But you weren't on the sofa," he said. "Where were you?"<br>"I saw the ghost," she said after a deep breath. "He visited me."  
>"There really is a ghost?" Klaus asked.<br>"Yeah," Selina nodded. "A little boy who's childhood was suckier than mine. His rat bastard father murdered him when he was five years old. Can you believe that? I actually feel lucky when I think about him and that's a difficult thing to do."  
>"Let me guess," Klaus said, "now that you've seen the ghost, you have some urge to help him out and get him wherever it is that he needs to be."<br>"Well," Selina nodded. "Yes, I do."

* * *

><p>During her nap that afternoon, Selina was troubled by horrible nightmares about Adrian's father drowning him. His father's eyes were a cold gray. The man never smiled. Except for when he was throwing Adrian into the lake, that is. When the boy had sunk to the bottom, Julius Hoyt started laughing and it was with this laughter ringing in her ears that she woke up, screaming.<br>"That's it," she whispered to herself. "I have to do something about this."  
>So she got up, and grabbed a few things from the garage, got in her car and drove to the cemetery. It didn't take her long to find Julius Hoyt's grave. She got out of the car, grabbed a shovel and began digging up the soft earth.<br>A few minutes later, she heard someone call out to her. "Hey!" they cried. "Just what do you think you're doing?"  
>"I'm avenging a wronged little boy," She said.<br>"Now, now," the man said. He was wearing dirty overalls and his face and hair were smuged with dirt. "I'm the caretaker here and you can't just come and dig up bodies."  
>"Even if the person I'm digging up is a dispicable, lying rat?"<br>The caretaker's face didn't change expression. "Now you just be on your way, Missy. Before I call the police."  
>"No," Selina kept her eyes on him. "I'm not doing anything wrong. Go back to your house."<br>He started to walk away, then she changed her mind and jumped him, wrestling him to the ground, ripping out his throat and sucking him dry. She threw his body aside and began digging furiously. She reached Julius Hoyt's coffin and opened it, hitting his bones hard until they all shattered. Then, she grabbed the body of the caretaker and threw it in the coffin on top of them. She was burying the body again when she heard the sirens. Before she knew it, seven cop cars appeared outside the cemetery gates and the officers charged in. When they saw her, a bunch of them stepped back. They didn't want to hurt her.  
>Two grabbed her by the shoulders, but she fought them off easily. And two more, and two more. Finally, two grabbed her arms, two grabbed her legs and they said her miranda rights as they dragged her, struggling to the police car, cuffed her, locked in her, and drove to the police station.<p>

* * *

><p>"You know," she said as they brought her into the police station, "I don't even know why you arrested me. I didn't even do anything wrong!"<p>

"You descrated the remains of Julius Hoyt," the police officer said. "That's against the law."

Selina pulled herself away. "Don't touch me," she shouted. "Julius Hoyt was a despicable rat who murdered his youngest son because he had a limp and Julius was ashamed of it. That little boy just died all alone with practically no one to mourn him!"

"What would make you come up with such an idea?" The police officer at the counter asked. "Adrian Hoyt accidentally fell off the boat while he and his father were fishing and because the little boy couldn't speak, he couldn't indicate that he was in trouble. It broke Julius's heart that he couldn't save his son."

"Oh, cut the bullshit!" Selina cried. "That is a lie and you know it!"

"No, I don't," The head policeman said. "Now calm down or I'm going to have to lock you up."

"Oh, go ahead," Selina said, throwing a punch that landed squarely in the head cop's nose and sent him sprawling to the floor. Then one of the other cops cuffed her and stuck her in a cell. "Hey!" She cried. "Don't I get a call for bail?"

"In a minute," the cop said. "A little waiting won't hurt you."

* * *

><p>Klaus had stopped by Elijah's house earlier that day. They were talking on the front porch when Elijah's phone rang.<p>

"Who is it?" He said. He paused. "What? Seriously? How did that happen?"

He waited for her to explain. "You mean you're actually in jail? I take it you want me to come and get you out, right?" He frowned. "Just out of curiosity, what did they get you in for?" He paused. "Desecrating remains, battery, and resisting arrest? Oh, fine. We'll come and get you."

He shut the phone and frowned.

"Elijah?" Klaus asked, "Who was that?"

"Selina," Elijah said. "She's in jail."

Klaus' eyes twinkled. "She's in _jail_? How is that possible? She's_ much_ too smart to do anything that would get her in trouble."

"We have to go get her out," Elijah said, standing up.

* * *

><p>"You know," Elijah said to Klaus once they were inside the car and driving toward the police station. "You're taking this very calmly for somebody whose pregnant wife is locked up in jail."<p>

"Actually," Klaus grinned. "I think it's kind of hot. When we get there, I might even influence the warden to leave us alone for while so we can have a little conjugal visit."

"She actually didn't want me to bring you along," Elijah said. "She wanted me to keep you away for some reason."

"I don't know why," Klaus said. "It's not like I would yell at her for being irresponsible or anything."

Elijah shrugged. "I don't know either. Now when we get into the police station, don't say anything. That's very important. Let me do all the talking."

"You're going to influence them to let her go, right?" Klaus asked.

"Well, no," Elijah said. "She did something wrong and she has to learn from it. Influencing the guards to let her go won't teach her anything. Now why would she do something like this? Do you know?"

Klaus shrugged. "Don't ask me. She's been acting weird ever since we moved into our new house. She says there's a ghost in it that 'visited her'."

"What?" Elijah took his eyes off the road for a moment. "I thought she only read ghost stories for their entertainment value. I didn't think she actually believed a word."

"Apparently now she does," Klaus said.

When they reached the police station, they strode up to the counter where the head cop, whose broken nose was now bandaged, looked them over. "Does the knocked up bearcat who broke my nose belong to either of you?" He asked.

"Yes," Elijah said, pointing at Klaus. "Him."

The officer looked at Klaus. "Go ahead and take her," he said. "Frankly she scares us."

"Well normally she's very nice," Elijah said. "She's just having an off day."

The head officer rolled his eyes and led them to the cell where Selina was being kept. "Do I get to get out now?" She glared at him.

"Yes," the officer frowned. "Although I don't know why any sane man would claim a nut like you."

"You keep talking to me like that and I'll break more than just your nose, tubby!" Selina cried. The police officer rolled his eyes and unlocked the door. Selina ran out. "Oh, thank you," she said once she was clear of the cell. "It feels so good to be out of there!"

"When's her court date?" Elijah asked.

"Oh, I don't have one," Selina said. "They're dropping all charges."

"Wait," Klaus said. "Could we have a few minutes?"

"I know that look," Selina said. "And we're not doing it in a jail."

"Well we have to do it somewhere," he said.

Selina grinned. "I guess it would be kinda hot to say we did it in jail. There's an empty cell down the hall there." She pointed. "I know it's not the one I stayed in, but-"

He cut her off and led her down the hall. They locked themselves in and Elijah did his best to block out their moans and growls. At least they weren't doing it at his house.

* * *

><p>On the way back from the jail, Selina, who was sitting in the back seat with Klaus, asked "Where are we going? Are you coming to see our new house?"<p>

"I suppose," Elijah shrugged. "So," he said. "I can't believe you actually _are _pregnant."

"I thought he told you," Selina said. "Klaus said he was going to call you the second he found out."

"And he did," Elijah nodded. "I just didn't think that he was serious."

"But it's hard to doubt now that you've seen me, right?" Selina said.

"Yes," Elijah nodded. "Just one question: Does Mother know?"

"No," Selina said quickly. "And you have to swear not to tell her until after the baby's born. Otherwise, she's going to torture me."

"All right," he sighed. "I promise not to tell."

They got back to their house and spent the rest of the day talking about this and that. Elijah said he'd recently gotten in a new relationship and that Klaus and Selina would like his new girlfriend. They'd have to double date sometime.

* * *

><p>That night, Selina said she wanted to sort out the attic, so Klaus and Elijah went out for drinks. They had just taken their first sips when a redhead approached their table. They both choked.<p>

"So," Vanessa said, sitting down. "How are things going for you boys?" She looked at Klaus. "How's Selina?"

"She's fine," Klaus said, eyeing Vanessa suspiciously. "She and the baby are both fine."

"Oh," Vanessa chuckled. "The baby. I have to say I'm sorry about the scare I gave you two earlier. Chasing you around for no reason at all."

"What do you mean?" Klaus asked. "The reason why you wanted her dead is because the baby is going to help us take over the world and that upsets you."

"Well yes," Vanessa said. "It would...if the baby she was carrying was yours. But it isn't. I'm surprised she hasn't admitted that yet."

Klaus' hand tensed around his glass. "You're lying," he said through his teeth. "Am I?" Vanessa grinned. "When you get home tonight, ask her about the little affair she had with the bartender at Enid's club last time the two of you were separated. She won't be able to talk her way out of it. I'm only sorry I had to be the bearer of this bad news." She glanced at him. "Have a drink, Niklaus. You look absolutely horrid."

She stood up and looked at them with satisfaction. "I better be going now," she said. "You two have a lovely evening."


	6. The Trust Game

As soon as Vanessa was gone, Elijah looked at Klaus. "Niklaus, are you going to be all right?" He asked.  
>Klaus squeezed his glass hard enough to break it. "She cheated on me," he said through his teeth. He growled.<br>Elijah rolled his eyes. "You honestly believe that?" He asked. "This was Vanessa who told you," he said. "The woman would would do _anything_ to make you angry so you'll kill Selina and the baby and then she and Hazel won't have to worry. Selina wouldn't lie to you. The baby's yours."  
>"That's not it," Klaus said. "It was the other thing she said, about Selina having an affair with the bartender at Enid's club."<br>"When would Selina have time to have an affair?" Elijah asked.  
>Klaus' eyes narrowed. "Stop acting, <em>brother<em>, like she's a saint and I'm some sort of monster. We all know what _Mother_ resorted to when life with your father became difficult." He sighed.  
>"This isn't the same sort of thing," Elijah said. "We hardly know anything about this. All we have is what Vanessa told us, which may or may not be a lie. We have to ask Selina about it."<br>"She's not going to tell us the truth," Klaus said morosely.  
>"Well, we'll have to go and see," Elijah said. "That's all."<p>

When they got back to the house, Selina was there to greet them. "Hi you two," she said. "How was the carousing? Did it go well?"  
>"You cheated on me!" Klaus burst out.<br>"What?" Selina burst out.  
>"Vanessa told us!" He said. "She said you spent some cozy nights with that bartender at Enid's."<br>"I tried to tell him that since Vanessa said it, it's a lie," Elijah said. "Selina, now you tell him too."  
>Selina slowly shook her head. "I could," she said. "But then <em>I<em> would be lying. I _did_ have an affair with Pete. I'm sorry."

"You did," he said. "I can't believe you did!"

"Oh," Selina said, "it wasn't just me. Do you expect me to believe that_ you_ were celibate for an entire week?"

He frowned. "Don't change the subject!" he roared. She jumped. "Why," he said through his teeth, "didn't you tell me about this after it happened?"

"I didn't think it was important enough to mention," she said quietly.

He shook his head in disgust. "You're a real piece of work, you know that?" he said. "You slept in another man's bed for an entire week. He probably got to know parts of you that only _I'm_ supposed to. We're _married_ and you didn't think this little affair of yours was important enough to mention? Are you even sorry about it?" His voice was shaking now.

Selina lowered her eyes. "Yes, I am. Because Pete's a really sweet guy, and I slept with him even though I felt nothing for him. Really. He's not the first one I've done that to. I'll have problems with guys and the guys I have problems with are the ones I really like, but I can't stand feeling bad, so I run away instead and I glom on to other guys who I don't like as much just because they cuddle with me and tell me everything I need to hear and nothing I don't. Your brother was the first, Pete's just the latest...and I just...I don't know what else to say."

"And where does that leave me?" He asked. "I refuse to spend the rest of my existence watching you run away."

She sighed. "I don't think I can anymore. I've done too much. I'm in to deep." She laughed bitterly. "The real reason why I ran away from you when we were in the woods is really stupid. I ran because I was afraid of a little dirt. I didn't want to be out in the weather with the bugs and the dirt, so I ran."

He shook his head. "That's not why you ran," he told her.

"Yes it is," he said. "What other reason would I have?"

"You were scared," he told her. "Afraid of nature and what would happen to you if you stayed out in it too long. But there's no reason to worry about that now. Nature's made its mark on you."

She nodded. "Yeah, I guess. I've become reckless and restless and..."

"Oh," he whispered, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I don't know about that. I think I need some proof."

Her eyes widened. "No, oh no..."

He nodded. "This is how you're going to make it up to me. And then we'll deal with what _I_ did, but I don't see why I should have to make up for that, since it was the worst sex I've ever had in my life..." He trailed off.

"Why?" Selina asked.

"Because it wasn't _you_," he said quietly.

"Oh, my god," Selina said. "You really _do_ like me."

"As much as I could like anyone, I suppose," he said. "And that's why we're going camping in the woods."

She groaned. "Why couldn't you have just killed me instead?"

He looked at her seriously. "If you weren't pregnant, maybe I would have."

* * *

><p>Selina twisted around and looked mournfully out the back window of the car. "Goodbye house," she whispered to herself. "Who knows if I'll be coming back..."<p>

Klaus rolled his eyes. "It's not going to be that bad. Besides, remember the rules: you aren't allowed to complain about this at all."

"That's not fair," Selina crossed her arms. "I'm being forced to go back into the dirt and I'm not allowed to complain about it?"

"If you're good," he said, "I'll have a surprise for you at the end of the weekend."

"Oh, really?" Selina said. "I bet I know what that is. And I doubt it'll be much different from the other 'surprises' you've given me."

"Well," he said, "You'll just have to be good and see now won't you?"

Selina rolled her eyes. "It'll be okay," she told herself. "It'll be fine. I can handle this."

They drove the rest of the way in silence and when they reached the very secluded spot in the woods where they were going to set up "camp," he helped her out of the car and shut the door behind her. "So," she said, "What are we supposed to do now? And I noticed you didn't bring a tent or anything. What are we supposed to do? Sleep in the car?"

"No," he said, "We're going to be sleeping on the ground."

She choked on her own spit. "What?" She said. "On the ground? I can't sleep on the ground."

He gave her a smug look. "Remember," he said. "No complaining."

"What'll I get if I don't?" She asked.

"I'm not going to tell you," he said. "That's why it's called a _surprise_. Besides, it's a nice, sunny day out. Perfect weather to begin enjoying nature in."

Selina managed a small smile. "I suppose," she said.

"See?" he said. "Now that's the spirit."

The rest of the day went well enough, but then night fell.

"So we're just going to lie down and shut our eyes?" Selina asked. "Is that how this is supposed to work?"

"Not exactly," Klaus said. He went to the car and brought back a rolled up plaid flannel blanket, unrolling it and laying it out on the ground. "Now we can lay down and close our eyes."

Selina winced and then gingerly lay down on it. "The moon's pretty," she said. "Did you know it was going to be full tonight?"

"Yeah," he said, laying down beside her. "I did."

They lay by each other in silence and finally, Selina felt herself relax. She shut her eyes, and fell asleep.

* * *

><p>When she opened them again, ice cold rain was falling in droves from the sky. She gasped and sat up, shivering. Her clothes were soaked. When she looked beside her, Klaus was gone. "My god," she said to herself. "I'm living in a nightmare that begins at the crack of dawn."<p>

She managed to get herself on her feet and began walking around the woods, calling out for Klaus, but she didn't see him anywhere. She shivered and began looking again until she felt something nudge her legs. She turned around and saw a wolf looking at her. "There you are," she sighed. "Where did you go? And how long has it been raining?"

He turned back. "For a few hours," he said. "Are you all right?"

"I suppose," she said. "Except I'm wet, and I'm cold and..."

"You know why you're so miserable?" He said. "Things would be much better for you if we got you out of those wet clothes..."

"Wait," she said. "How would taking clothes _off _me stop me from being cold?"

"Well," he said, "it probably won't stop you from being cold, but it'll make you less uncomfortable."

She nodded as he pulled her clothes off her and threw them in a pile by a tree. "Isn't that better?" He asked.

She nodded. "Kind of," she admitted. She shivered again. Goosebumps were breaking out all over her body.

He put his arms around her. "Oh," she grinned. "That's why you didn't bring a tent. So we'd have to huddle together for body warmth."

He kissed her hair. "Of course," he said. "Are you hungry?"

"Yes," she nodded.

"Because I found some good stuff around here," he said. "Do you want to come with me? I suggest you do. Moving around will keep you warmer."

She nodded. "All right."

She transformed and followed him through the woods, looking for game. Eventually, they manged to track down and kill several animals and when they were finished, they changed back and went back to the car.

"So," Klaus said, leaning up against it. "How do you feel?"

She breathed deeply. "Not bad, actually," she admitted.

He saw that she still had a few lingering goosebumps and began running his hands over her arms. She shivered again, but not from the cold. She reached out and ran her hands over his ab muscles and he looked up at her, a small grin curving his lips. He grabbed her wrist gently and began moving her hand downward. She leaned forward and kissed him, obeying the movements of his body. He groaned. They slowly lowered themselves down onto the ground, their bodies connected, neither paying much attention to the rain anymore.

They rolled around on the ground biting and nipping at one another, their moans loud enough to echo through the trees and send the birds scattering.

"See?" he said as he pulled away. "Out here, nobody can hear us."

She grinned. "You make a very good point." Suddenly, his face changed and he slowly backed off her.

"What?" She asked. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing." he grinned. "You just have a bug in your hair."

"What?" She shrieked and sat up, clawing at her hair. "Get it out, get it out, get it out!"

He laughed and began digging around, finally pulling it out. "It's okay, I got it." He held it out. "See? It's a big one!"

She screamed again and pushed it out of his hand. "Eeweeew!" She shuddered, pushing him away. He pushed back and then they were at it again. By now, the rain had stopped and the sun was shining through the clouds.

Another break in the action occurred when she choked. "What?" He said.

"I think I just ate a bug!" She cried.

He smiled. "Well," he said, "don't keep your mouth open so long. There are a lot of things flying around out here."

She grinned. "Well, that wouldn't be as fun for you, now would it?"

He shook his head. "No, it really wouldn't."

Finally, they pulled apart. "Be honest," Selina said. "We mainly came out here to have sex, didn't we?"

"No," he said. "It's to get you to appreciate nature."

She gave him a look. "Okay, yes," he said. "It was for the sex too."

"Uh-huh," she nodded. "I knew it."

He grinned and kissed her neck. "This isn't so bad, is it?" He asked.

She shook her head. "No, I guess not. But I'm never going to appreciate bugs, no matter how much time I spend with them."

"Well now," Klaus said, "that's a shame because they really seem to like _you_."

"Is there another one?" She asked.

"No," he shook his head. "There's not another one. You're fine."

Before they went to sleep that night, Selina looked at Klaus. "Okay," she said. "I know this'll probably go against the whole 'make Selina love nature' kick you're on, but I need to wash off, I really do. There wouldn't be like a lake or a river around here, would there?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "Just over there." He pointed.

She fell to her knees as well as she could. "Thank you," she said. "Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!" She got Klaus to help her up and then she ambled toward the river. He followed. "Need some help?" He asked.

She looked at him. "I don't _need_ it," she said. "But I'd like it."

"Oh," he said. "I have to go get your surprise. It's in the car."

He ran to the car and then came back. "Here," he said, handing out what he held to her.

"Oh, my god," she looked down at it, amazed. "Soap and a loofah? That's my surprise?"

He nodded.

"I like this surprise very much," she said as she began lathering up the loofah. Then, Klaus took it from her and began rubbing it over her. "I admit," he said, "I brought some other stuff too. But you'll see that tonight."

She grinned. "Can't wait."

* * *

><p>That night, things were chilly, so Klaus grabbed a second blanket from the car to put around Selina. Then, they went in search of wood and after making a pile, he started a fire. They took seats on a couple of rocks and watched the flames leap toward the sky. "I don't know about you," Selina said, "but I kind of feel like telling ghost stories."<p>

"Really?" he asked. "Do you know any good ones?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "Ever heard of the "Girl with the Black Velvet Ribbon?"

"No," he shook his head. "How does it go?"

"Well," Selina leaned against him. "Once a long time ago, a young man was walking in the park with his dog when he saw a woman sitting on a bench. She was pale and strangely beautiful, wearing a dark red dress. Her long dark hair was pulled in a knot at her neck. He went to sit next to her and they struck up a conversation. He noticed she wore a ribbon around her neck that was the same color as her hair. When he asked her about it, she quickly said, "it's nothing. You must not ask me about it again.

"The young man found this strange, but he thought her so beautiful that he ignored it. They went out several more times and every time he asked about the ribbon, she'd always tell him not to ask her again. Eventually, he asked her to marry him and she accepted. On the day of their wedding, he watched her walk down the aisle. She still wore the ribbon around her neck even though it clashed with her dress.

"That night, their wedding night, he asked her 'don't you ever take that ribbon from your neck?' She said, 'You'll be sorry if I do, so I won't.'

"Although he was disturbed by her response, he shrugged it off. He could convince her later. As the years went by, their life together fell into a pleasant pattern, but eventually, the ribbon began to test the husband's patience. He began to ask his wife constantly: 'Why won't you take off that ribbon?' And her response was always the same: 'You'll be sorry if I do.'

"Once, he tried to pull it off, but noticed that it wouldn't give way. It seemed to have no beginning and no end. He became less fond of her after that. During the day, the ribbon was bad enough, its blackness such a somber contrast to the sun outside. But at night, it troubled him even more. When he realized that he couldn't look at the ribbon anymore, he said to his wife one night 'Either take off the ribbon or I will!' His wife just said 'You'll be sorry if I do, so I won't.' Then she fell asleep.

But her husband stayed awake, staring at the ribbon. He'd meant that he would take off the ribbon if she wouldn't. Slowly, he got out of bed and grabbed a pair of sewing scissors she kept on her night table. The blades were thin enough to slip under the ribbon and cut it in half. Gripping the scissors tightly, he went to stand over her sleeping form. He slipped the scissors in between the ribbon and her soft neck, and with a feeling of triumph, he snipped the ribbon. As the ribbon fell away from his wife's neck, her head rolled to the side and off onto the floor with a _thump. _It was still muttering, 'You'll be sorry, you'll be sorry...'"

Selina sat back, a grin on her face. "Scary, huh?"

Klaus grinned and shook his head. "No, not really."

Selina's eyes widened. "Are you kidding? That scared the daylights out of me when I first heard it!"

"I know," he patted her. "That seems like something that would."

"Do you know a better story?" She frowned.

"All I'd have to do is tell you about the time I headed a gang of thieves in the seventeenth century." He smiled to himself. "The things we did...those were good times."

"Yeah," Selina said dryly. "I'm so sad I missed that."

"You would have loved it," he said.

She rolled her eyes. "I'm going to bed," she said.

"All right," he sighed. "I was going to bring out the marshmallows to toast, but if you don't want to..."

"Really?" She turned and ran back. "You brought marshmallows?"

He nodded. "As a matter of fact, I did." He stood up from the fire and went to grab the marshmallow bag, which was in the trunk of the car. He picked up two sticks and handed her one while he took the other. They stuck their marshmallows on and put them in the flames. When Selina pulled hers out, it was on fire. She screamed and dropped it on the ground.

"That was exciting," Klaus said, picking it up.

"I thought it was going to burn me," Selina said.

He handed her his. "Here," he said. "Take my perfectly toasted one. I'll go make another one."

Selina grinned and popped it into her mouth. "Thank you," she said.

"You're welcome," he told her.

When they went to bed that night, they were both in a good mood. "You're having a good time," Klaus said. "Admit it."

Selina grinned and nodded. "All right," she said. "I'm having a good time. But I still don't like the bugs."


	7. Her Own Private Hell

"Bugs are an inescapable part of nature, I suppose," Klaus said the next morning when he woke up to Selina's screams because she'd seen a spider right next to her head. "But maybe if you were transformed, it wouldn't be so bad." They were loading things into the car for the ride home.  
>"Or maybe if I <em>dressed<em> it wouldn't be so bad." Selina rolled her eyes.  
>Klaus grinned. "But why would you want to do <em>that?<em>" He asked. "It wrecks the whole atmosphere."  
>"I was just thinking," Selina said, "has there been one day in our entire relationship where we haven't had sex, cause I certainly don't remember any."<br>"You know," he sat up. "I don't remember any either. But why change what works?"  
>"I suppose," Selina said. "I mean, after we have the baby and everything, that's going to be the first thing to go, so we might as well enjoy it while we can."<br>Klaus' eyes widened. "You aren't serious, are you?"  
>"Well yeah," Selina nodded. "As painful as it might be for both of us, if we want to be good parents, we're going to have to practice some restraint."<br>"And when that doesn't work," Klaus said, rubbing her back, "then what are we going to do?"  
>"Well, I'll just have to make up a schedule of when we can do it and when we can't," Selina shrugged.<br>He burst out laughing. "A _schedule?_ for _sex?_ You're really good at joking this morning."  
>"What's wrong with a schedule?" Selina asked.<br>"Sex should be about spontaneity," he said. "If we plan it out, it destroys the whole point." He took her in his arms again and she threw her arms around his neck, while he unzipped her. "Car," she breathed. "Car."  
>They managed to get the door open and situate themselves in the trunk. They were going at it furiously and were both breathing heavily, scratched and bleeding when Selina's phone rang. Luckily, it was just in reach, so she grabbed it, turned it on and put it to her ear while Klaus kept working on her.<br>"Hello?" She said, trying her best not to giggle, but failing.  
>"Selina? What's going on?" Said the voice at the other end. "You sound happy."<br>She wriggled a little, moving her clothes with her free hand to give him better access. "Oh, yes," she said as he leaned over her. "I'm _very_ happy." Then she screamed.  
>"What just happened?" The caller asked, sounding alarmed. "Are you hurt?"<br>"Oh," Selina took a deep breath. "No, I'm good...so good." She moaned as he began running his tongue along her neck and his hand along the inside of her thighs.  
>"What are you doing? And why aren't you here at your housewarming party?"<br>Selina frowned. "Housewarming party? Anna, what housewarming party?"  
>Klaus stopped. "Anna? My sister?"<br>"Yeah," Selina mouthed. "She's at our house right now!"  
>Klaus quickly took the phone from her. "Anna? What's going on?"<br>"Well," Anna said, "Mother, Lilith and I are your new house for a party Alistair's throwing you and you aren't here. Elijah brought his new girlfriend and Mother thinks she's just lovely."  
>Just then, the phone was taken away from Anna and somebody else came on the line. "Let me speak to Selina please, Niklaus," Elissavetta ordered.<br>Klaus slowly handed the phone back to Selina. This wasn't going to be pretty.  
>"Yes?" Selina said.<br>"My dear," Elissavetta said icily, "Why did you never think to mention to me that you're expecting a child? I had to hear it from Alistair."

"Well," Selina said, "we were going to tell you eventually. Just not now. Because you have a tendency to be controlling, overbearing, and just otherwise stick your nose in where it isn't wanted."

Klaus snatched the phone away. "Don't listen to a word she says, Mother. She didn't mean any of it."

"Yes I did!" Selina said, dressing quickly. "You can be damn sure of that!"

"Of course she didn't mean any of it," Elissavetta said, calm now. "Pregnant women are never the most rational creatures. How about you just come on back to your house now and we'll get it all sorted out when you arrive?"

Klaus cleared his throat. "All right, Mother. We'll be there."

"I can't believe you sold me out like that," Selina snapped. "Now we're going to get home and you're going to do whatever the hell she tells you to because you've completely lost your spine!"

He sighed. "Sometimes it's just easier to do what she says."

"Well you might as well just have handed me over to Vanessa cause soon, either your mother or I will be dead. We can't stay in the same space forever."

"I'm sure that whatever Mother has in mind won't be that bad," Klaus tried to reassure her. "In fact, it'll probably be a nice break for you."

"A nice break for me?" Selina said, not quite believing what she was hearing.

"Yes," Klaus nodded. "Mother will set you up in her house and you won't have a thing to worry about until the baby's born. It'll work out for everyone."

"Not everyone," Selina shook her head. "What's in this for me? I don't see what's so good about being hidden away like some sort of fragile collectible. I'm a woman of action. I'm going to be bored out of my mind!"

"It's only three months," he said. "That's not forever."

"You _would_ say that," Selina narrowed her eyes. "You aren't the one who's going to have to live with her."

"So you'll do it?" He asked.

Selina shook her head. "Not in a million years."

* * *

><p>They arrived back at their house and when they pulled into the garage and put the car in park, Klaus looked at Selina. "Are you coming in?" he asked.<p>

She shook her head. "I don't know if I want to."

"What am I supposed to tell everyone?" He asked.

She shrugged. "I don't care. Just tell them I'm sorry I couldn't be here, but that I had to step out for a moment."

"You're avoiding the problem, aren't you?" He asked.

She leaned forward and glared at him. "Well excuse me if I don't want to be shipped off to your mother's for three months, but that's where I'm going to land if I go inside!"

"But you can't stay out here," he said. He got out of the car and opened her door, holding his hand out. "Come on," he said. "Please?"

Selina rolled her eyes. "Oh, all right. But I'm not going to like this at all."

"Nobody said you had to," he said.

They got inside and Anna was the first one to meet them at the door. "Just where have you two been?" She asked, grinning. "Selina, you sounded so funny on the phone!"

"Oh," Selina said uneasily, "we were just, um-"

"She got stuck in between the seats of the car," Klaus explained. "I had a devil of a time getting her out."

"Yeah," Anna winked at them. "I'm sure that's exactly what happened. Mother's in the dining room with Elijah and his girlfriend Susan, Niklaus," she told her brother. "She wants to talk to the two of you."

"Oh, well _that's _a big surprise," Selina whispered.

"Let's just go," Klaus said. "The sooner we get this over with the better."

They went into the dining room where Elissavetta was chatting with Elijah and a tiny brunette neither of them had seen before. "Hello, Mother," Klaus said. "Sorry we're late. We had no idea there was going to be a party."

"Oh, it's all right, dear," Elissavetta said. "I suppose I can excuse it this once." She looked at Selina who was wearing a large green velvet trenchcoat. "Take that off, dear," she said. "You aren't fooling anyone."

"Obviously I fooled you for several months," Selina said. "You had absolutely no idea."

Elissavetta smirked. "Avoiding me on purpose and tricking me are two separate things." She got off Selina's jacket and her eyes widened. "Well, that's certainly a surprise," she said. "You're further along than I thought. Probably near the end of things, am I right?"

"Perhaps," Selina said. "I really have no idea what to expect. I have a visit scheduled in a little while with the woman who's overseeing my care."

"Well after you're finished, have Niklaus drive you straight to my house," Elissavetta said. "You'll be staying with me the last couple of months so I can keep an eye on you."

"How sweet," Selina said through her teeth. "But I really don't think that's a good idea."

"Of course it is," Elissavetta said. "Toward the end of things, you need calm and rest and relaxation which you certainly won't get around my son. Don't think I don't know what the two of you spend your days doing."

"Yes, well-"

"It's all settled then," Elissavetta cut Selina off. "I'll see you this afternoon and I won't take no for an answer." She smiled with satisfaction and got into conversation with Anna, who'd come in looking for another drink.

"I can't believe this," Selina said. "What am I supposed to do now?"

"Prepare for three months of calm and rest and relaxtion," Klaus said.

Selina frowned at him. "Oh, shut up!" She gave him a sharp jab in the ribs and his drink went sloshing everywhere while she strode upstairs looking for Alistair.

* * *

><p>She found Alistair's bedroom and knocked repeatedly until he came to open the door. "Hello," he said. "How are you?"<p>

"What were you thinking telling Klaus' mother that I'm pregnant?" Selina snapped.

"She had to find out sometime," Alistair said, stepping out into the hallway. "And I _know_ you weren't going to tell her."

"I was," Selina nodded earnestly. "But not until the baby was born! You know what she's got into her head now? That I should come and live with _her_ until I go into labor!"

"What's wrong with that?" Alistair asked. "I believe she's had several children. She'll know exactly how to handle things."

"Yeah, but she's not going to let me do _anything_," Selina whined. "She's just going to lock me up and make me stay put."

"I don't know what you're so worried about," Alistair said. "That's not going to happen."

"It isn't?" Selina's eyes lit up. "Why not? Are you going to tell her she's crazy and that I should stay here? You owe me that much."

"I don't owe you anything," Alistair said. "You're going to become a parent soon and that means you have to start taking care of yourself."

"I take plenty good care of myself," Selina said. "I'm fine! Don't you try and turn this around to make it my problem!"

"When Astrid and I arrived on Friday, you and Klaus were gone," Alistair said. "Where were you?"

"We went camping," Selina said. "He found out about the affair I had with Pete over at the bar and he said that the only way for me to make that up to him was for me to actually live amongst the dirt and the bugs."

"How long has it been since you've seen Enid?" Alistair asked. "She should probably have a look at you."

"I'm going to go today," Selina said. "Now, why aren't _you_ down at the party you're supposedly hosting?" She asked. "Are you hiding out? Were you scared of what I was going to do once I found out you'd told Elissavetta I was pregnant against my wishes?"

"Of course not," Alistair shook his head. "I was merely waiting for you to return because I thought we needed to talk. And like I said, no way Klaus is going to let you go off to his mother's for three months."

"Because he won't be able to stand the lonely nights," hope suddenly dawned for Selina again.

"Good to see you cheering up," Alistair called as she went down the stairs. "I'm still mad at you," she said to him. But it wasn't very convincing.

"So," Klaus said when Selina found him at the bar, "did you go up and give Alistair a piece of your mind?"

"Oh, I was going to," Selina said. "But then he got me all confused and...made it seem like all my problems were my fault and..." she looked up at him. "You really don't want me to go away for three months, do you?" She asked. "Aren't you going to get a little lonely?"

"Well yes," he said. "But if it'll help you, I can stand it."

"No it won't help me!" Selina snapped. "You're supposed to go tell your mother that I can't possibly stay with her because you need me too much at home."

He gulped his drink down and poured himself another. "You're really becoming a shrew, did you know that?" he said to her.

"Well you're no walk in the park either!" She said. As she strode toward the front door, she felt a restraining hand on her shoulder. "What now?" She asked. She turned and saw Elijah. "Is everything all right?" he asked.

"No," Selina sat down on the entryway steps. "Your mother wants me to come and stay with her until I have the baby and your brother isn't helping me out of it. I just know I'm going to be bored out my mind. Can you imagine your mother and me alone in the same space for three months? The tension will blow the roof off the house!"

"We thought about that," Elijah said. "Which is why Susan and I will be staying with her as well. You won't have to be alone."

"Oh," Selina looked up and sniffled. "I suppose that's a little better."

"Yes," Elijah nodded. "It'll all work out."

Selina stood up. "I have to go see my doctor for a check up. Could you take me?"

"Sure," Elijah nodded. "I'll even have Susan come with us so that the two of you can get to know each other."

"Oh, great," Selina smiled weakly while he went off in search of his girlfriend and they led Selina out to their car.

* * *

><p>Selina didn't say much on the way to Enid's other than giving directions. Mostly she sat banging her head against the window while listening to Susan, a vampire who was actually younger than Selina herself, describe her days at the Sorbonne, and how accomplished she felt getting a Ph.D. in psychology in the 1890s.<p>

"It was quite a feat," Susan said. "Everyone it seemed, was against it. But I persevered and got my degree and I came away much better for it." She paused and twisted around in her seat. "Do _you_ have any advanced degrees, Selina?"

Selina shook her head. "No, I don't. I...didn't have the opportunity to get an advanced degree," Selina said. "My mother was a diehard traditionalist who wanted me to get married instead."

Susan twisted her face into a look of fake sympathy. "Oh, dear," she said. "How unlucky for you."

"But if I would've had the opportunity," Selina said, "I would've gotten an advanced degree, don't get me wrong."

"And now here you are," Susan said, "pregnant and unmarried..."

"Hey!" Selina burst out. "I'm married. I'm _very _married, thank you very much! My sister even put Klaus' toast at the reception on the internet."

"My mother _did _make sure they were married before they had children," Elijah assured Susan.

"Good for her," Susan nodded. "Elissavetta's told me about them and I doubt they would have done it themselves." She rolled her eyes.

They arrived at the bar and Susan got out of the car. "This is where your doctor is?" She asked.

"Yes," Selina nodded, muscles in her body tensing. She strode inside without looking back to see if Elijah and Susan were following her.

"Hey, Pete!" Selina said when she saw him at the bar. "Is Enid around?"

"Oh, yeah, sure!" He came around the bar and hugged her. "How are you, kid?"

"I'm doing all right," she said. "How are you?"

"Just the same," he said. "Juice?"

She nodded. "Thanks."

He poured it for her and said, "I'll go see if I can find Enid. I know she's around here somewhere. And she said that you'd probably come in any day now." Once he was gone, Susan came to sit by Selina. "You seem to know that bartender well," she said. "Are you a regular here?"

"We used to have one of the apartments upstairs," Selina said. "The reasons for that are complicated and have nothing to do with me being an alcoholic, poor and pregnant."

"I didn't say that they did," Susan said, looking at her in surprise.

"Yeah," Selina snapped. "But you were going to. I know it."

Just then, Pete came downstairs with Enid trailing behind him. "Hello, dear!" Enid said, giving her a hug. "How are you doing?"

"Well enough," Selina said. "But I thought I could use a checkup."

"Good instincts," Enid nodded. "You're almost at your seventh month, the most difficult part."

"Why?" Selina asked nervously.

"You're going to get kind of...out of control," Enid said. "Do you have a cage or something at your house that you can stay in when things get tough?"

"Actually," Selina said, "I'm going to stay with my mother-in-law. She says I need 'calm, rest, and relaxation'."

"And she's right," Enid nodded. "With all the stuff that's going on inside of you, extra stress from the outside is unnecessary and dangerous."

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "Which is exactly why I told Klaus that I shouldn't be living with my mother in law. Oh, this is my brother in law Elijah and his girlfriend Susan."

"Nice to meet you," Enid said. But her voice was cool.

"So should I tell Klaus I need to stay with him until I go into labor?" Selina asked hopefully.

"No," Enid shook her head. "I know you aren't going to like it, dear. But I really think you should stay with your mother in law."

"Fine," Selina rolled her eyes and stomped from the bar with Elijah and Susan trailing after her. "I call shotgun," she said.

They drove to Elissavetta's house in silence. Then, Selina walked slowly up the stairs and Elijah knocked once on the front door. "We're home, Mother!" He called.

The door opened. Elissavetta was on the other side, grinning. "How wonderful," she said as they came inside. "We're just going to have a delightful three months together, aren't we?"

"Yes, we will!" Susan said.

"Ugh," Selina moaned to herself. "I wish I was dead."


	8. Labor Pains

The usual knock on her bedroom door woke Selina up again, and she sat up hopefully, thinking that just maybe, for the first time in a month, it would be Elijah asking her if she wanted to come hunting with him rather than her mother in law with a body's worth of blood that had already been removed. She was beginning to get restless. Granted the time she'd spent at the house wasn't the absolute horror she'd thought it would be, but truth be told she'd never been more bored in her life.  
>"Come in!" She called.<br>The door opened and in came Elissavetta with Selina's usual morning sustenance. Selina groaned.  
>"Well your mood changed quickly," Elissavetta said.<br>Selina sighed. "Can't I go out and hunt just this once? Please? I promise I'll be careful."  
>Elissavetta shook her head. "We've been over this and over this," she said severely. "You aren't going to be leaving this house. It's not good for you."<br>"You don't know that," Selina said. "I could be just fine. Which I will prove if you'd just open the damn door and let me out!"  
>Elissavetta eyed her keenly. "All right," she said. "After you finish feeding, you can go downstairs and watch television with Susan. She's watching a fascinating wildlife documentary in the den."<br>"Oh, goody." Selina rolled her eyes.  
>As soon as Elissavetta was gone, Selina looked at what she had to eat and groaned. It was so much better when she caught it herself than when it was brought to her. But she ate it anyway and then very carefully got out of bed and plodded into the den.<br>"You're up!" Susan said chirpily. "This documentary is so interesting. Would you like to watch it with me?"  
>"Sure," Selina collapsed on the sofa. "Fine, whatever."<br>It was a documentary about a special colony of ants in South America. Selina tried to keep her eyes open. "Can't we watch something else?" She complained. "I think there's a Diehard double feature a few channels down."  
>"No," Susan said severely. "Those movies are trash. This'll further your mind."<br>"It's about ants," Selina said. "How's that going to help me?"  
>"Now if you'd gone to college you'd get that," Susan said. "But since you're so uneducated, it makes sense you don't understand it."<br>Selina bit her lip. "You know what?" she said. "I'd be nicer to me if I was you. Cause I'm bored as hell and very angry right now, and if you aren't nicer to me, I could make you die a very slow and painful death."  
>"Why?" Susan asked.<br>"Cause I'm a werewolf," Selina said. "And you're just a vampire. And werewolf bites cause vampires a lot of problems. I'm surprised you didn't know that, college girl."Susan's eyes widened. "What do you mean?" she asked.  
>"I <em>mean<em>, Selina said succintly, "that if you make me any madder than I am, I could make you die a slow, painful death."  
>Susan leaned back a little. "You're making that up."<br>"Am I?" Selina asked, eyebrow raising. "Would you like a demonstration?" Susan let out a scream as Selina transformed and then took off running from the living room with Selina chasing after her. When they were found, Susan was whimpering and huddled behind an overturned chair while Selina was doing her best to get a nip in.  
>Susan let out a sigh of relief as Elijah pulled a very resistant Selina away from the chair. "Thank you," she said breathlessly. "That could have ended badly if what she says is true. Can a bite from her really cause me a slow and miserable death?"<br>"Yes," Elijah nodded. "So it's best not to antagonize her. Especially since she's basically been deprived of everything that keeps her calm." He looked down at Selina. "And as for you," he said, "you're coming downstairs with me."  
>He pulled her along until they were in the basement and then shut her up in a cage in the corner, watching as she slowly turned back into herself. "Why are you even doing this?" She asked. "Aren't I miserable enough already?"<br>"You tried to kill Susan," Elijah said, working the lock on one of the bars. "That's not good."  
>Selina burst out laughing. "I wasn't going to <em>kill<em> her, honest. I just wanted a little thrill. That's all."  
>Now he looked up at her. "I hope you enjoyed it," he said, "because you're staying down here until I tell you."<br>Selina rolled her eyes. "Oh, whatever."  
>He caught her eye. "One more month," he said. "One more month."<br>She spent the rest of the afternoon in the basement, then at nightfall, Anna came downstairs. "Hey," she said. "I can't believe you're locked up down here."  
>"I know," Selina groaned. "I <em>hate<em> it. I want out." She looked appealingly at Anna. "Take me out, please."  
>"You need to see Niklaus, don't you?" She said.<br>Selina nodded. "Yes!" She sobbed. "I need personal contact! No one's touched me in a month." She grabbed hold of the bars and shook them.  
>"I'll tell you what," Anna said. "I'll tell Mother that you and I are going shopping for baby clothes and then I'll drop you off at your house."<br>"You will?" Selina asked hopefully. "You're officially my favorite person now."  
>Anna grinned. "No problem," she said and headed upstairs.<p>

* * *

><p>As Anna headed up the stairs, she had some doubt about what she told Selina she would do. What she had absolutely no illusions about was that Selina needed to get out of the house and away from her mother. It was the only way the poor girl would survive. She went to her mother's bedroom door and knocked. "Mother," she called. "It's Anna. We need to talk."<p>

A short while later, Elissavetta opened the door and let her in. Anna noticed that her mother was already settled in for the evening, wearing a while silk robe with a gold leaf pattern on it. Water was running in her bathroom. "Are you going to take a soak?" Anna asked.

"Yes, dear," Elissavetta nodded. "I'll be having dinner soon as well."

Anna rolled her eyes. "Very subtle, Mother. Very subtle."

"I have to eat, dear." Her mother said. "And since your father and I are separated, I see no reason why I shouldn't have a little fun as well."

"Speaking of which," Anna said, "I was thinking of taking Selina out shopping. She hasn't left the house since she arrived here and I don't think she's very happy."

"I'd speak to Elijah about that if I were you," Elissavetta said absently. "Where Selina's got herself now isn't my doing. She tried to kill Susan this morning. Apparently they got into some sort of tiff and Selina lost her temper."

"Well I wouldn't blame her," Anna said. "I'd do the same if I was in her position."

"You don't like Susan?" Her mother asked curiously.

Anna shook her head. "I think she's a pretentious, self-absobed know it all. She and Elijah are perfect for one another. Now, I'm going to take Selina out to look at baby clothes. We'll be back eventually."

Elissavetta sighed. "All right, dear. Just be careful and don't let your brother see you."

"I won't," Anna said earnestly. "Good night, Mother."

* * *

><p>"I can't <em>believe<em> how easy that was," Selina crowed. "We just strolled right out there. Nobody even tried to stop us!"

"Mother knows where we're going," Anna said. "She told me that it was all right as long as we were careful."

Selina rolled her eyes. "Not again with the being careful. I'm pretty well plugged in. I don't think the baby's going anywhere except out when it's time." She squirmed uncomfortably. "And I hope to God that's soon."

"Oh," Anna said. "You poor kid."

"I wonder how Rusty'll manage with a baby in the house," Selina mused. "We've pretty much been focused on him and he probably won't like having to share the spotlight."

"'We'?" Anna asked curiously. "You mean Niklaus hasn't tried to kill him yet?"

"I wouldn't let that happen," Selina assured her. "I think Klaus has gotten used to him." She paused. "You didn't tell your mother where we're _really_ going, did you?"

"No," Anna said. "I most definitely didn't. If I had, we wouldn't be in this car right now."

Selina sighed. "Have you seen him lately? How has he been holding up?"

Anna sighed. "It's kind of sad, really. I don't think he's been sober or left his bed since you went to Mother's."

Selina leaned forward, bracing her hands on the dashboard. "You don't mean-"

"Yep," Anna nodded. "Rotgut whisky and fifty-dollar hookers are how he's spending his days now."

Selina breathed in sharply. "Well, we'll just have to fix that, now won't we?"

"Are you upset?" Anna asked.

"No," Selina shook her head. "I've been itching for a good hunt for days anyway. This is a perfect opportunity."

They arrived at the house and from the outside, nothing seemed amiss. "Do you want me to come in with you?" Anna asked hesitantly.

Selina shook her head. "No, thanks. I'll be all right."

Anna shrugged. "All right, if you're sure," she said, heading back to her car.

Once Anna was gone, Selina steeled herself and marched inside. There was no one around that she could see, not even Alistair. Then she heard the shrieks and giggles coming from upstairs. She growled and felt her whole body tense up. She began to transform. Once she was one, she climbed up the stairs and burst into the bedroom. Surveying things from the end of the bed, she saw that Klaus had two girls on either side of him in the bed, a blonde on the left and a redhead on the right. Both girls weren't dressed at all of course. She growled and the girls screamed again, throwing the covers off and getting out of bed.

"What are you girls going on about?" Klaus asked. "We're on break. I haven't even done anything yet." They looked at him and then looked at Selina, who began inching closer toward the redhead, who took off running. Selina let her jaws drop into a grin and took after her. She loved it when they ran. The redhead was a fast runner and it was only because she wore herself out that Selina was able to catch her. Once she'd fallen down, Selina killed her by clamping her throat down on the girl's jaw. Then, she ate her heart and her liver, leaving the girl's torn and still body where it had fallen. Then she returned for the blonde and did the same thing. By the time she returned to the bedroom a third time, Klaus seemed much more aware.

"Well, well, well," he said, getting down on his knees in front of her and scratching her behind the ears. "If it isn't Go to Hell Kitty."

But instead of being mollfied, she growled again and jumped him. He just laughed. "I take it somebody's mad at me," he said.

She turned back and after some struggling managed to get on her feet. "You're damn right I'm mad at you," she said. "What the hell do you think you're doing? I should kill you too!"

He grinned. "But it's a shame you can't, isn't it?" he said.

"Yeah," She went to the closet and put one of her robes on.

"So why are you here?" He asked. "Looking for a little comfort?"

"I was," Selina said. "But not anymore. Now you're just pathetic."

"Oh," he said. "And just what have _you _been doing with yourself? Any good kills lately? Before this one, I mean."

"No," Selina said moodily. "I've been stuck at your mother's as you damn well know and she won't let me do anything. I met Elijah's girlfriend and she is the biggest jerk I have ever met in my life. She finally made me so mad I tried to kill her this morning."

"And did that work?" Klaus asked.

"No," Selina said. "Elijah caught me before I had time to do much of anything and locked me up in the basement."

"So you've been miserable too," he said.

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "But I've had it much worse. At least you have the benefit of alcohol to make you forget your troubles. I can't even drink at all."

He sighed. "I consider myself lucky."

* * *

><p>"How are things coming?" Vanessa asked as she entered the basement. "Remember, we don't have much time."<p>

"I'm aware of that!" Hazel snapped. "Don't you think I'm aware of that?"

"So," Vanessa said, coming to stand next to her. "Just what did you have in mind? We can't kill her directly. Enid won't let us."

Hazel grinned and poured some stuff into her pot. "Wrong," she said. "She won't let _you_ kill Selina directly. I can still do whatever I want without worry."

"So what are you going to do?" Vanessa asked. "Tell me, tell me, tell me!"

"You see what I have in this pot?" Hazel asked. "Look at it. Just look at it."

"What's a bunch of red goo going to do for us?" Vanessa asked.

"If I put it in these darts and then shoot Selina with them, she'll go into labor," Hazel said.

"But we don't want that!" Vanessa said.

"I said she'd go into labor," Hazel snapped. "I didn't say she'd be able to give birth."

"Wait," Vanessa said. "What? You mean, this stuff could keep her in labor forever? Make it so Selina will never have her baby?"

"Yes," Hazel nodded. "She'll be very weak and in pain. You could kill her easily then."

"But what about Enid?" Vanessa asked.

"Enid can only be a help to them as long as she's near them," Hazel said. "It was very foolish of her to send them away."

"Foolish of _her," _Vanessa nodded. "But a great boon for us. How much longer do we have to wait?"

"Three days, I think," Hazel said. "We'll only have to wait three days."

* * *

><p>Three evenings later, Selina was restless again. "Let's go out," She said to Klaus. "I want to go out. One last big hunt before you know, I have this kid and have to be incommunicado for who knows how long?"<p>

He looked up at her. "As long as you feel up to it," he said.

"Of course," Selina said earnestly. "Nothing's going to happen for weeks, I promise. Enid told me so."

"All right then," he said.

She grinned. "You know, if your mother was here she'd probably smack you for being less than careful with my fragile person."

"I'm surprised that she didn't come running after you after you had Anna sneak you away," Klaus remarked.

"She probably wasn't too eager to have me come back after I tried to kill Susan," Selina grinned. "She was probably eager to see me go."

"Are you two going out?" Alistair asked.

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "One last big hurrah before I give birth."

"She says she's sure nothing's going to happen to her," Klaus said.

"Well," Alistair said, "keep your phone where you know where it is on the off chance something does happen so you can reach us."

Selina nodded. "All right, Alistair," she said.

They left the house and began scouting around for prey. They were feeling bold, so they ran around the yards of nearby houses chasing and downing cats and dogs even though they tasted bad. This was nothing new to Selina. She'd been sneaking out every night since she'd been dropped off at Elissavetta's. She figured the neighborhood pets were good and scared of her by now.

They walked by one house where they could see the evening news playing on television through an open window. The report was about a wild wolf that had been attacking the neighborhood pets for the last month.

"...Although the wolf isn't rabid, precautions must be taken. If anyone sees the wolf, call the police immediately and they will deal with the situation."

Whimpering, Selina backed away from the window and tried to hide herself in shadows. Suddenly, she heard the cock of a gun. She tried to run away, but she wasn't quick enough. A shot hit her in the shoulder. And then another. She fell. Just after she fell, Klaus growled and charged after the three men who'd fired the shots, killing all three of them. After they were dead, he went back to Selina who'd transformed back. She'd been shot a third time, but the little pinprick didn't resemble a bullet.

"All right," Klaus said. "Now that you're better, we need to go."

"No," Selina moaned. "I don't think that's possible."

He went cold. "What do you mean?" He asked.

"I can't move," she said. "I think the baby's coming."

He growled. "Oh, for the love of-of all the times for you to go into labor. Why did it have to be now?"

"Hey!" Selina snapped back. "It's not like I _chose_ for this to happen now, so just lay off!"

"You _lied _to me!" He yelled. "You told me nothing was going to happen for weeks, you let me take you here to a place where you have a price on your head, and then you go in to labor."

"It's not my fault!" Selina yelled. She grabbed a rock that was nearby her on the ground and flung it at his head. It narrowly missed him.

"I can't believe you just tried to hurt me!" He said.

"I wish it would have hit you," she yelled. "Then you'd be unconscious and I wouldn't have to listen to your stupid yammering anymore!" Then, she screamed.

Klaus closed his eyes tightly and then turned away to face the house across the street, where a leggy blonde in a tight skirt had just stepped out of her car and was now sashaying up her front steps.

"What are you looking at?" Selina asked through her teeth.

"I was just thinking," he said, "who I would choose to have my next child."

Selina growled. "Well whoever it is," she panted, "good luck to them, because I'm _not_ going through this again!" She screamed as another contraction went through her body. Just be patient, she told herself. It'll be over soon.

* * *

><p>But it wasn't. Several hours later, she was still on the ground and didn't seem to be making any progress. "Has anything happened yet?" Klaus asked moodily. "I want to go home."<p>

"Oh," Selina said, "You and me both. Do you think I'm enjoying this? Why don't you do something productive and call Astrid and Alistair?"

"Fine," he said. "Anything to get out of here."

Alistair answered on the first ring. "Where are you two?" He asked. "What's happend?"

"Selina went into labor," Klaus said. "But she seems a bit stuck."

"We'll be there in a little bit," he said. "Tell her to stay calm."

* * *

><p>They arrived a few minutes later. "What's going on?" Astrid asked.<p>

"I don't think I'm making any progress," Selina said. "I've been in labor for awhile and nothing's happening."

"Well, labor _can _take several days sometimes," Astrid said. "I know it's a pain, but sometimes you just have to be patient and grit your teeth."

Alistair was looking Selina over. "Look at that mark on her shoulder," he said to Astrid.

"Oh, dear," Astrid said. "I don't believe this. No wonder this labor is taking so long."

"What?" Klaus asked. "What is it?"

"She's been hit with something," Astrid explained. "I've seen it before. A potion that can prolong labor, usually delivered through a dart."

"Well how do you fix it?" Selina screamed again. "Please tell me you can fix it. Or at least take the bullets out of my shoulder."

"You were shot with a gun?" Alistair asked. "How did _that_ happen?"

"While I was at Elissavetta's," Selina said, wincing, "I would sneak out at night and hunt the neighborhood dogs and cats."

"And they put a shoot and kill order on her. Somebody took advantage of it," Klaus said. "Luckily they didn't hit her anywhere fatal."

"Yes, that is lucky," Alistair nodded. He looked at Klaus. "Help me get her into the car," he ordered. "We need to get her to Enid's."

"And then you'll take the bullets out?" Selina asked hopefully.

"Not yet," Astrid said. "We don't want to risk you going into shock. The bullets will come out after you have the baby."

Alistair and Klaus lifted Selina into the backseat and Astrid helped her into a nightgown she'd brought along so she was at least covered up. They drove to Enid's with Selina sweating and screaming all the way.

"What's happened?" Enid cried when they brought her in. "She's in labor, isn't she?"

"Yes," Alistair said. "And Astrid thinks Hazel hit her with some sort of spell to prolong her labor."

"The dart prick's there and everything," Astrid nodded.

Enid ordered Pete to go upstairs and grab a bunch of pillows and then they lay Selina behind the bar. She was really sobbing now.

"It hurts," she cried. "Make it stop!"

"I know it hurts," Enid said, trying to keep her calm. "But we'll get you fixed up in no time."

Enid made up something, stuck it in a cup and told Selina to drink it. Once she did, labor progressed easily enough, and when the baby was finally out, Selina looked about ready to faint.

"It's over," Astrid said. "You did it."

"I did?" Selina asked.

Klaus got down on his knees beside her. "You did," he said.

"Can we get the bullets out now?" Selina asked.

"Yes," Enid nodded.

Selina screamed a little more as Enid removed the bullets and Astrid went to take care of the baby. When it was all over, she set him in Selina's arms. Selina took a deep breath and looked down at the sqirming bundle she held. Here, she thought to herself, is the boy who's going to bring on the end of the world? She didn't believe it. Not one bit.


	9. Spontaneity

It had been a week since the baby had been born and they'd already settled into a routine: Selina would wake up every two hours to take care of him and things would go from there. She'd decided to name him Adrian after the ghost that lived upstairs, or as Klaus so derisively called him, her "imaginary friend."  
>After one such morning, she put Adrian back down to bed and pulled her robe tighter around herself, walking back to her room. She never bothered dressing in the morning, just threw a robe on and did what she needed to do. When she got back to her bedroom, she didn't see anyone, but she could hear the shower going. She sighed, deciding to get dressed. She stood in front of the mirror and untied her robe, and as she let it fall off her shoulders, she looked at herself in fascination. The weight had just melted right off. Either that or she hadn't gained as much as she thought in the first place. She began touching herself all over.<br>"What a wonderful sight first thing in the morning."  
>She gasped and pulled the robe tighter around herself, blushing a little. "How long have you been standing there?" She asked, avoiding his eyes.<br>"Long enough," he said, coming over and putting a hand under her chin and tilting her face up to meet his. "What were you doing?"  
>She swallowed. "I was, um, getting dressed. Why didn't you wait for me?"<br>"I didn't know how long you'd be," he said, keeping his eyes on her face as he untied her robe and let it fall to the floor. "So how long do we have?" He asked as he began kissing her neck.  
>"Two hours," she moaned and clutched his shouders tight as he pressed up against her. "Two hours, as usual."<p>

He kissed her deeply, picked her up and threw her on the bed. They were both breathing heavily now. "It's been awhile, hasn't it?" She got out.

He didn't say anything. Instead, he pulled some handcuffs out and cuffed her hands together. She moaned and he breathed in sharply as she wriggled her hips to find a more comfortable position on the bed. Then he leaned toward her, kissing her on the lips and then moving downward. He began kneading her breasts and grinned. "You seem much bigger," he said.

She nodded. "I am," she said. "One of the many perks of giving birth. But the bad news is you can't suck on me until I stop breastfeeding Adrian so..."

He trailed his hand down her breasts and onto her stomach, and then stuck his tongue in her belly button and rolled it around a little. She gasped, whimpering. He pulled his head up and gave her a wicked grin.

"Are you stopping?" She asked. "Please don't tell me you're stopping."

"No," he shook his head. "Of course not."

She rolled her eyes, straining, her body bucking upward. "Hurry up," she said.

He just grinned again and ran his hand down her stomach and over her thighs. Selina whimpered, straining a little against the handcuffs. When he stuck his tongue inside of her, she screamed, both from the force of her release and the burning feeling in her wrists as she strained against the handcuffs. When he eased himself out, she was sweating and breathing hard. "I'll be good for awhile," she breathed. "That'll hold me." She was breathing in short spurts as he took the cuffs off.

"I think it was a good idea for us to have our room be a ways away from Adrian's and then keep the monitor with us," Klaus said. "You might have woken him up otherwise."

Selina grinned and sat up, wincing at the pain in her wrists. "Oh, shut up," she said. "It's not entirely my fault."

He kissed her. "True," he said. "So true." He paused. "What did you mean when you said 'that'll hold me'?"

"Oh," Selina sighed. "You're not going to like this, but I figured I should make us a schedule. It'll make things less complicated."

"Schedule?" Klaus asked. "Schedule for what?"

"Sex," Selina said simply. "If we want to be responsible parents, we have to learn to curb most of our animalistic impulses so we focus more on Adrian and less on ourselves."

"So we're on a sex schedule?" Klaus said flatly. "Remember what I told you about spontaneity and how important that is to sex?"

"I know you did," Selina nodded. "But things have changed since then."

"I suppose," Klaus said. She got out of bed and he followed. "So what does your schedule say we have to do now?"

"Well," Selina told him, "I'm going to dress and then you're going to give Adrian a bath while I supervise."

"I am?" He asked.

"Yes," Selina nodded. "You need something to distract you and I think it's good when the two of you bond."

He began playing with her hair. "Will you be in a bath too?"

Selina shook her head. "No. I will be fully dressed and nagging if need be."

He rolled his eyes. "There's something to loo forward to."

She kissed him. "I'm sorry," she said. "Did I kill the mood?"

"Yes," he nodded. "You most definitely did."

Selina shrugged. "All right then," she said and got out of bed, dressing quickly. She went into Adrian's room, where she found him awake, but not crying. She gently picked him up and carried him back to their bedroom. "Good," she said when she saw Klaus. "You didn't dress. Remember what happened last time."

"Yes," Klaus nodded. "I nearly ruined one of my good shirts because of all the splashing. I don't know why you need to watch me," he said as they went into the kitchen and Selina put the drain in the sink and began to fill it up. "I know how to do this. Don't you trust me?"

"Of course I do!" Selina said.

"No you don't," he said. He reached out for Adrian once the sink had enough water in it, but instead of handing him over, Selina just held him tighter.

He sighed. "All right," he said. "We'll just never bond and it'll be all up to you and then he'll grow up and be twisted like Norman Bates in _Psycho_ which is much worse than anything you have in your head that _I'd_ do to him."

"I don't think that," Selina shook her head. "Well all right," she conceded. "I do, kind of."

"I won't let him drown," Klaus said. "He's already been through one bath and made it out alive."

Selina sighed and slowly handed Adrian over then held herself tense as Klaus wet the little wash cloth and began running it over Adrian's body. Then, Adrian shifted and sent water splashing straight into Klaus' face. It broke the tension and Selina began giggling.

Klaus ignored her until Adrian was clean and out of the sink wrapped in a towel and then he picked up the spraying head. "What's so funny?" He asked, turning to Selina who was still laughing uproariously.

"You're...all...wet..." she choked out.

"Yeah?" He turned on the faucet again and then pressed the button on the spray head, aiming it in Selina's direction. "Well, so are you!"

Selina was hit with a wave of cold water, soaking her. She ran around the kitchen, but didn't succeed in avoiding the water further. Pretty soon, everything in the kitchen with the exception of Adrian, who remarkably remained dry, was soaked.

When things had calmed down again, Selina coughed and braced herself against the refrigerator, trying to stand up straight. "I'm going to blow my nose," she said. "I think I inhaled some water." As she was leaving, Adrian cried out and held out his arms. She pushed her wet hair out of her face and then went to pick him up. "That was fun," She said, making her way out again.

"Here," Klaus put his hands around her waist. "We don't want you to trip and fall."

Selina nodded. "Good point." He held on to her until they reached the carpeting of the living room and then he let her go and she took Adrian to his room to feed him again and get him dressed.

* * *

><p>Two months later, Selina was home with Adrian again. She'd decided that it was time to give the house a good cleaning. Astrid and Alistair had done well enough when they'd arrived, but sometimes, she just got the urge to clean things. She brought Adrian out into the living room, put him in his swing, turned on the radio and grabbed a feather duster she'd taken a liking to in the attic and began running it over all the surfaces. After a little while, one of her favorite songs came on, and she began dancing to it while moving the feather duster in rythm.<p>

"I throw my hands up in the air sometimes, singing ay-oh, gotta let go! I'm gonna celebrate and live my life..." She sang off key too. She turned and saw Adrian who was watching her with a very strange look. "What?" She asked, still jumping around. "Mommy's not crazy, she's just getting her groove on!"

Just as the song ended, the front door opened and Selina started badly when Klaus and Elijah entered the living room and stood stock still, smirking at her.

"What's so funny?" She asked. "Am I amusing you?"

"No," Elijah said, losing his composure. "It's just that I've never seen you so...liberated before."

"Yes," Klaus nodded. "I for one would like to see more of that dancing myself."

"I don't know," Selina said, straightening up. "It was more of a spur-of-the-moment thing. Who knows if the mood'll strike me again." She picked up Adrian whose eyes were wide.

"I think he's scared of you," Klaus remarked.

Selina looked down at Adrian. "No he's not. You aren't, are you?" She rubbed his back and sat him back down again. "So," Selina said, sitting down on the sofa, "What brings the two of you here?"

"Well," Klaus said, "I live here."

"And I just wanted to come along to see if things were all right," Elijah said. "I didn't know I'd be seeing a show."

"Well take a picture," Selina said. "It'll last longer."

"So how are you?" Elijah asked her. "Anything wrong?"

"No," Selina said. "I feel all right."

Elijah nodded. "Good. Mother wanted me to ask when it would be convenient for you to bring Adrian over. She really wants to see him and she thinks you're holding out on her."

Selina rolled her eyes. "I am not! I told her that I would bring him when he was sufficiently adjusted. That hasn't happened yet."

"What do you mean by 'sufficiently adjusted'?" Klaus asked. He looked at Elijah. "I offered to bring him over to Mother's myself so she wouldn't even have to be there, but she declined that."

"It's just that your mother is a very overwhelming person and he's just a baby and..." Selina came up short.

"She raised us," Klaus said. "And look how well Elijah turned out."

"We could both take him to meet Mother," Elijah offered. "If you're nervous that is. And Susan mentioned that she wants to see him too."

"In that case," Selina said, handing Adrian over, "Here he is, here's his stuff, you three have a good time. I'll be here waiting by the phone in case something goes wrong. I think I'll make some cookies too. I've been meaning to do that..."

"Wow," Klaus said. "Cleaning and cookies in the same day? Aren't you a domestic?"

Selina nodded. "But I try not to advertise it."

Klaus looked down at Adrian. "Steel yourself," he said. "You're about to meet Grandma."


	10. Growing Up

Selina waved goodbye to her boys out the open window and then shut the door, shaking her head and grinning to herself. "They probably won't last long," she said to herself. She sighed and began walking around the empty house. Alistair and Astrid had gone out and wouldn't be back until late. Selina decided to take a bath since there wasn't anyone around to distract her. She went into the master bathroom, took off her clothes and exchanged them for a light pink kimono with a pattern of pink and purple flowers, then she put up her hair and turned the jacuzzi tub on, rooting around under the sink for her lavender bubble bath. She found it and poured a capful under the faucet, and took off her robe and stepped into the tub, moaning contentedly as she eased herself into the warm, bubbly water. She lay her head against the tub and closed her eyes, listening to the hum of the air conditioner. She stayed like this for several minutes until she heard the bathroom door open and then Rusty's barking.  
>She sat up. "What do you want?" She asked him. He cocked his head and stared at her. "It's time to walk you, isn't it?" She asked. She boosted herself out of the tub and toweled herself off, then got dressed in jeans, a white turtleneck and a red pullover sweater, then she and Rusty went to the park to throw the frisbee around. They were taking a break when she heard someone call out to her.<br>"What are you doing here by yourself?" Astrid asked. "How'd you get the day off? She came to sit next to Selina on the bench.  
>"Oh," Selina said, "Klaus and Elijah took Adrian to see my mother in law and I didn't want to go, so here I am."<br>"Wise choice," Astrid nodded. "I completely understand." She nodded toward a coffee cart that was situated in the middle of the park. "They have really good stuff," she said. "Want me to get you something?"  
>"You don't need to keep getting me stuff and looking after me," Selina said. "Not that I don't appreciate everything you've already done, but you aren't my maid or anything, so don't feel obligated.<br>"Of course not," Astrid grinned. "I'd be happy to."  
>"All right," Selina said. "Thank you."<br>Astrid got up and went to the cart, coming back a few minutes later with a steaming cup of coffe in each hand. She'd gotten a little on the corner of her cream colored sweater. "Here," she said. "Have a sip. "You'll really like it."  
>Selina took a sip. It <em>was<em> good. But then she started to feel funny. She stood up, swayed, and fainted, Astrid staring unmoving as Selina's head hit the pavement...

Selina sat up and gasped. She was still sitting in the bathtub. It had all been a bad dream. A very strange and vivid bad dream, probably brought on by inhaling way too many bath salts. That being said, she stood up, got carefully out of the tub, toweled herself off and got dressed. She looked around. No Rusty. She finally found him asleep on the kitchen floor next to his empty food dish. She quickly refilled it and decided that she needed to go get a pop or something. She needed to stay awake if the alternative was another dream where she was dying. She went to the bookstore and impulsively bought a couple drippy romance novels, the kind she usually abhorred. Maybe they'd give her some new ideas. Then, she went to the bakery section and purchased a chocolate chip muffin and a large Kahlua Mocha with whipped cream. She sat down at one of the tables and began leafing through the books she'd bought, laughing at their ridiculously contrived plotlines, while at the same time thinking that maybe she could get Klaus to do something like that for her. She grinned at the novel called _The Countess and the Highwayman._ Maybe she'd start there. It was never difficult to convince Klaus to tie her up and do things to her. After she left the bookstore, she sat down on the bench outside, thinking about where to go next. Then, it hit her. She got in her car and headed to the mall.

Selina returned home later in the day, her arms full of shopping bags which she threw all over the entryway floor before she got inside the house and then she picked up the smallest one and took it into the bedroom, where she took out the bag's contents and put them on: A bright red lace bra and panty set and a red robe with black lace trim. It was getting dark. Klaus would probably be home with Adrian soon. She had to be ready.

* * *

><p>"Hello?" Klaus called. "We're home!"<br>"Good!" Selina called back. "How did things turn out? Put Adrian to bed and come and tell me."  
>He did as she said and then followed the sound of her voice to the bedroom. When he opened the door, he started a little. It was dark, but there were lit candles in little jars all over the place. Then Selina appeared, clutching a bottle of wine in one hand and two glasses in the other. She was just in her underwear.<br>He told her to put the wine down and then he ran his hands over her body. "This is new, right?" he said, indicating what she was wearing.  
>She grinned. "Just bought it today. I could show you the other stuff I bought too...if you want." She grinned saucily at him. "But you probably want a drink first," she said. "After being with your mother all day and all."<br>"Yeah, sure," he said. "But only because Elijah insisted on introducing me to that girlfriend of his."  
>Selina grimaced. "Susan?" She said, pouring two glasses of red wine and handing one to him. He gulped it down while she sipped more slowly. "More please," he said. She grinned.<br>They finished off the glasses they had and Selina stuck the bottle back in the ice.  
>"So," Selina said, "What do you want to do now?"<br>He grinned. "That's a silly question."  
>She grinned. "You're right, it is."<br>He put his arms around her, picked her up and carried her over to the bed, leaning over her. He began kissing her, but when she felt him begin to pull her panties down, she put her hands on his shoulders and pushed him away from her. "No," she said. "You know the rule."  
>"What rule?" He asked.<br>"You have to undress some too," she said. "How can I play with you if I can't reach anything?"

He just laughed and shook his head. "I'm not stopping you from doing that," he said. "Go ahead."

"All right," Selina rolled her eyes. "Thank you for not wearing pants that need a belt today," she said. "I always find belts to be a pain." She quickly unbuttoned and unzipped him, taking a moment to admire him.

"See anything you like?" He asked her, grinning. She snapped out of her reverie and rolled her eyes. "Well, _duh_," she said. "Otherwise I wouldn't have looked at it so long, would I?"

He grinned and grabbed her hand. "You know," he said, "you can touch too. That's allowed."

"Is it?" She asked, running her hand down him. "I had no idea."

He gasped. She giggled, leaning forward to kiss him on the lips while still working on him with her hands.

He growled and nipped at her neck, licking the blood off slowly. She bit him and then waited for a few minutes as blood trickled from the wound and then she got some on her fingers and then smeared it all over his member, slowly licking it off of him.

"How do you do it?" He asked. "How do you make it hurt in all the right places?"

"_Do_ I make you hurt?" She asked, surprised. She backed up a little.

"No," he said quickly. "I_ like_ it."

"Oh," she smiled. "Good."

After he had a release that was big enough to rattle the windows, Selina took a deep breath. "Are you tired?" She asked him.

He shook his head and flipped over so she was on the bottom. "Of course not," he said. "It's your turn."

"What are you going to do?" She asked him.

He grinned. "You'll see," he said. First, he bit her thigh and made her gasp as he licked the blood up. Then, he worked his way up until his tongue was inside of her again. She thrashed wildly, squealing. Then he pulled out of her and she let out her breath. But then, he leaned over her, impaling her hard. She screamed and thrashed underneath him, her hands scratching his ab muscles, leaving angry red welts. He groaned and pulled out almost all the way, but when he went to enter her again, she shifted position and they both ended up rolling off the bed and hitting the floor. The pain brought them back to their senses for a little while, but then they remembered what they were doing and resumed rolling around on the the floor, heedlessly breaking things and knocking stuff off the bedside table. Just as Selina was due to come again, they heard crying.

Selina pushed Klaus away from her. "That's bad timing," she remarked, her breathing heavy.

"It was probably from the lamp you broke," Klaus said, easing himself out of her and pulling the sheet off the bed to wrap around himself as she stood up. "That probably woke him up."

"I'll be back in a little while," Selina said, wrapping a robe around herself and heading into Adrian's bedroom.

* * *

><p>"What's up?" She asked when she went into his room. "Did we wake you?" She picked him up and sat down in the rocking chair, hoping that he'd fall asleep quickly. But nothing happened. He just kept staring at her. "What?" She said. She was starting to get impatient. "Please don't tell me you need to eat," she said. "I really don't think feeding you is a good idea right now."<p>

He began to cry and she rolled her eyes. "If that's what it'll take, then fine." She undid her robe and he began suckling. She began to feel so strange. An involuntary gasp escaped her lips. She waited for him to pull away, but he just kept sucking on her. She felt like she was going to scream. Finally, mercifully, she was able to pull him off her and tuck him back in again. Then she tied up her robe and ran back to her bedroom.

"No time to explain," she told Klaus quickly, throwing her robe off. "You, me, continue please."

He winced as he sat up. "You don't need to tell me twice," he said. "Come here!"

She dove for him and they began rolling around again, their legendary stamina serving them well.

* * *

><p>Six months later, Selina was playing with Adrian when she heard the knock on his bedroom door. "Come in," she called. Klaus opened the door slowly and as Selina picked up Adrian, he made his way inside.<br>"What's wrong with you?" Selina asked. "You have that look on your face that you always get after you talk to your mother."  
>Klaus nodded. "I <em>was<em> just talking to my mother."  
>"Oh?" Selina asked, shifting Adrian to her other hip. "What did she have to say?"<br>"Well," Klaus said, "apparently Susan is having a birthday party and we have to come."  
>Selina's eyes widened. "We <em>have<em> to come? But we hate her! Why didn't you just tell your mother no?"  
>"Because..." Klaus said.<br>Selina rolled her eyes. "Fine," she said. "_I'll_ do it. She strode out of the bedroom, handing Adrian to Klaus. In the kitchen, she picked up the phone and dialed Elissavetta's number.  
>"Hello, dear," Elissavetta said. "Why are you calling?"<br>Selina cleared her throat. "To tell you that as much as it pains us, Klaus and I can't attend Susan's little party."  
>"Why?" Elissavetta asked.<br>"Because Adrian's teething now and I don't want to leave him alone," Selina said. "He wouldn't make very good company. That and we hate Susan."  
>"You <em>will<em> come," Elissavetta said, her voice cold. "Susan is going to be part of our family and the two of you are going to help welcome her. About Adrian, I'm sure you could find someone to watch him if you tried hard enough. Goodbye, dear." And she hung up before Selina could say another word.  
>Dejectedly, she headed back to Adrian's bedroom.<br>"Didn't work out so well for you, either," Klaus observed.  
>"Yeah," Selina nodddd. "But we could use this as an opportunity. Take one of those daggers I know you have hidden around here and we could make it so your mother never bothers us again."<br>"No," Klaus shook his head. "How would you like it if Adrian stabbed _you?_"  
>"You've done it before," Selina snapped. "It shouldn't be a big deal." She scoffed. "Has being married made your spine disappear? What happened to the guy who used to force me to go out and kill things and then grinned while I cried? You're not the man I married. I don't even know you anymore." She began to stride away when he grabbed her by the shoulders. "What's <em>that<em> supposed to mean?" He asked angrily.

She stared at him and her face crumbled. "I ruined you, didn't I?" she said, tears running down her cheeks. "Tell me I ruined you, please!"

Before she could dissolve into tears completely, he slapped her hard, and kissed her the same way. Then, he held her at arms' length. She was so shocked that she was no longer crying, although there was a tear or two tracking down her cheeks. "Are you done?" He asked her, his voice hard.

She nodded. "Yes," she said mutely. He let her go and they both walked away.

* * *

><p>The morning of Susan's party, both Klaus and Selina resisted getting out of bed. "Let's just stay here," Selina suggested, turning onto her back. "We could tell your mother we have some rare and deadly hybrid disease that makes it dangerous for us to be among people."<p>

Klaus began rubbing her back. "You know," he said, "That's not a bad idea. Staying here, I mean. Not telling Mother we have some phony disease. She'd never believe that."

"She said we _had_ to come," Selina said. "She'll probably hunt us down like a truant officer if we don't show up."

"True," Klaus said.

"So what do we do?" Selina asked. "How do we get out of this?"

A slow grin spread over Klaus' face. "Mother said we had to come to Susan's party," he said. "She _didn't_ say we had to behave ourselves."

"Hey," Selina said. "You know you're right. This might end up being fun after all."

"What are we going to do about Adrian?" Klaus asked.

"Don't worry," Selina said. "I know a place where I can take him."

* * *

><p>"Oh, my God," Margaret said when she opened the door to the boardinghouse and saw Selina standing on the other side. "You're here. Where have you been? And how in the hell do you have a baby?" Her eyes widened. "You haven't started eating children have you?"<p>

"No," Selina shook her head. "This is _my_ baby. His name is Adrian. I gave birth to him."

"How?" Margaret said again while Selina and Adrian took a seat on the sofa.

"Well," Selina grinned. "First, Klaus and I had lots and lots of sex, and because I'm part werewolf, I'm still able to get pregnant. And I did. Adrian's the result. Let me tell you, it's no fun getting shot by a gun and going into labor at the same time."

"Why did you bring him _here_?"

Selina rolled her eyes. "My mother in law is making Klaus and me go to this really stupid party for our future sister in law's birthday. We don't want to go, but Elissavetta can be a real pain in the ass if you don't do what she says."

"Oh," Margaret's eyes widened. "Maybe he'll get really drunk and sing your sister in law a birthday song!"

Selina smirked and shook her head. "I don't think so," she said. "Anyway, would you mind watching Adrian while we're at the party? He's teething, just to warn you, so he'll get fussy sometimes."

"Sure...?" Margaret said nervously. But before she could say anything else, Selina plunked Adrian down in her lap, put his stuff on the couch next to her, and with a quick "thank you!" left the boardinghouse.

* * *

><p>"This is going to be so <em>boring<em>," Selina whispered as she and Klaus stepped through the front door of Elissavetta's house.

"I know," he whispered back. "But we'll find ways to entertain ourselves. Remember that."

Selina grinned. "Thank God." Just then, Elissavetta came strolling into the front entryway. "How lovely to see the two of you," she said. "So nice of the two of you to come. I know how busy you are."

"Oh, no problem," Selina said through her teeth. "We wouldn't miss this for the world."

"Why don't you come into the sitting room so you can wish Susan a happy birthday?" Elissavetta said. "Elijah bought her the most beautiful diamond necklace. It'll make you gasp, I promise."

They sat down on a sofa with Elissavetta between them and watched Susan open her presents. Then, Elijah stood up. "Who would like some wine?" He asked. "Susan picked it out herself."

"Of course," Elissavetta nodded. "Let me help you."

Once they were all gone, Selina and Klaus, as well as Lilith and Anna who were sharing another sofa, let out their breaths. "This could _not_ be a more boring party," Anna said.

"Yes," Lilith nodded. "We were having more fun before _she _got here."

Selina looked into Lilith's narrowed eyes and shivered. For being only twelve she sure was frightening. "Can I ask what you were doing?" She said.

"Sure," Lilith told her. "Anna brought some of her more difficult pets with her and I've been training them to do things. With a little encouragement, many of them are very obedient. I even got one to kill that little poodle Mother was so fond of and make it look like an accident. I'm thinking of pitting the next one against that neighbor of hers who's landscaping his yard. The chainsaw makes it impossible to sleep in the mornings."

Selina nodded and was thinking of something to say to that when Susan, Elijah and Elissavetta returned. Susan handed Selina a glass of wine. They toasted to Susan's birthday and then she took a sip. It was so horrible that she immediately began choking.

"Go to the bathroom," Elijah said. "There are little cups for water by the sink."

Selina nodded and still coughing made her way to the nearby bathroom. She burst inside, shut the door, ran the faucet and swished water around her mouth to get out the yucky taste of the wine. Yet another thing Susan was uneducated about.

* * *

><p>When Selina didn't returned in a timely manner, Klaus volunteered to go get her. He found her in the bathroom, sitting on the toilet with a cigarette in her mouth. "Did you bring your lighter?" She asked. "I really need this."<p>

"No, you don't," he said, taking the cigarette away and throwing it down the drain. "I have a much nicer way to make you feel better. There's a nice closet right across the hall there."

Selina grinned and followed him in. When he moved to lock the door, she protested. "Don't do that," she said. "Think about how funny it'll be if Susan comes in here and sees us!"

"All right," Klaus nodded. "Whatever you say."

* * *

><p>Selina and Klaus still hadn't returned when it was time to serve the cake, so Elijah took it upon himself to find them. It didn't take him long. He heard shrieks and giggling coming from a closet near the bathroom. Selina never had been a quiet person. He rapped sharply on the coat closet door. "Come out you two," he said. "It's time for cake."<p>

Eventually, Selina poked her head out the door. "Cake?" She repeated. "I love cake! Klaus," she said, "it's time for cake."

Elijah led them away from the closet and back into the living room. "What's kept you two?" Elissavetta asked, frowning at them.

"We were working on something," Selina said. "Adrian's teething now and it's been driving me crazy. His eating's become very irregular. But at least since we started him on blood, I don't have to do everything myself now."

"How delightful," Elissavetta said. "Something else to celebrate. If Susan doesn't mind, that is."

"Of course not," Susan said quickly.

"Did you leave him with Astrid and Alistair?" Anna asked.

"No," Selina said. "They're out of town at some magic convention, so I left him with my sister and my ex husband. I just hope nothing catastrophic has happened."


	11. Ups and Downs

After the party, Selina and Klaus practically sprinted out the door, neglecting to even tell Susan goodbye.

"I'm so glad we made it through that!" Selina cheered. "I thought I was going to die of boredom. And the wine? I thought Elijah would have better sense than to let his girlfriend pick something so yucky."

Klaus nodded. "I really was surprised by that," he said. "Did you choke because it was so disgusting, or did it go down the wrong pipe?"

Selina laughed. "In order for it to go down the wrong pipe, I would have actually had to swallow it, and there's not a chance that would have happened. I choked because I wanted to spit it out but thought your mother would be mad at me if I spit out Susan's choice of wine right in front of her."

"I'm kind of glad we went," Klaus admitted. "It was good preparation for when Elijah and Susan get married. We'll know what to expect."

Selina nodded. "Most important thing is that we get through the ceremony, then look for the biggest closet, lock the door, and refuse to come out."

Klaus grinned. "Sounds like a plan to me."

They sat in silence for awhile, and then when they paused at a stoplight, Klaus turned to face her. "So," he said. "Where exactly did you leave Adrian? We should probably go pick him up."

"Oh, right," Selina nodded. "We probably should. I left him with Margaret, you know, my sister."

Klaus laughed. "You did? You think she can handle him?"

"I gave her all the necessary disclaimers before I left," Selina said. "And this was an emergency. It's not like we'll ever ask her to do it again."

"Yes," Klaus nodded. "We have to make absolutely sure that Astrid and Alistair are available before we go anywhere."

"Not that we think Adrian will cause trouble," Selina said quickly. "It's just that he's special and it takes a strong hand to keep control of him."

Eventually, they reached the boardinghouse. Looking from inside the car, everything seemed all right.

"You go in and get him," Klaus said. "I'll stay in here."

Selina nodded and got out, shutting the door behind her and tottering up the drive on her high heels. She knocked on the door. Eventually, Margaret opened the door. "Hi," Selina said. "Can I come in?"

"Sure," as she opened the door to let Selina in, Margaret showed that all had not gone as well as Selina had hoped. She was covered in bruises, scratches and soot, and her left eye had what would probably become a permanent twitch. "Oh, my god," Selina whispered. "What the hell happened to you?"

Margaret began laughing crazily. "I think the question is, what _didn't_ happen to me? That Damian-I mean, Adrian, is a really sweet kid."

Selina winced. "I'm sorry," she said. "He's teething and he's been a little moody lately."

Margaret lapsed into silence and led Selina into the living room where Adrian was situated under a small box with bars on it that he was presently trying to chew through. Margaret collapsed on the sofa and eyed him warily. "What the hell is this kid?" She asked.

Selina took the box off Adrian and took her in his arms. "He's complex," she said, running her fingers through his blond hair which had the consistency of dandelion fluff. He'd been agitated before, but when he saw that Selina was back, he calmed and snuggled against her. "A werewolf _and_ a vampire, you know. Just like Klaus and me. How much damage did he do?"

"Well," Margaret said, "I found him messing with the electrical cords in the kitchen and when I tried to get them away from him so he wouldn't hurt himself, he bit me, and then still got cord pulled out of the wall, which started a fire that spread to the curtains and flared up two or three times after I got it out, and then when I tried to get him to take a nap he wouldn't go and started scratching me, and then he ripped my new silk sheets to shreds. After that, he got hold of the phone and started using it for a chew toy so we'll need to see somebody about getting phone service again, and he knocked over the new crystal vase that Damon got me for my birthday..." the list went on and on. Selina looked down at Adrian, who stared back at her serenly. "You know," she whispered to him, "that's the same look your father gives me after he does something he knows I'll be mad at him for." She looked up at Margaret and sighed. "Look," she said. "I'm so sorry about this. If there's anything I can do..."

"Don't bring him back here," Margaret said sharply. "Ever again."

Selina nodded. "All right. Tell Mama I said hello." She stood up from the sofa, grabbed Adrian's things and the two of them lit out of there.

* * *

><p>"So," Klaus said once they were on their way again. "How did things go?"<p>

"Not well," Selina said. "All hell broke loose. I can see now why Vanessa and Hazel think that Adrian's going to bring on the end of the world. If he can destroy houses now, he's probably only going to get worse once he gets older. Especially with you encouraging him." She gave Klaus a look.

"What?" he said. "I would _never_ encourage Adrian to be wantonly destructive. If you're going to be destructive, it should have a purpose."

"Right," Selina nodded. "That's _so_ much better."

When they got back to the house, they saw Alistair's car parked in the driveway. "Alistair and Astrid are back," Selina said. "That's a relief."

She got Adrian out of the car and asked Klaus to get his things. Then they went inside and saw Alistair and Astrid sitting on the sofa watching television. "So," Alistair said, "I assume things went well enough without us. Everything seems to be in one piece here."

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "Here. My sister Margaret's house is another story."

Alistair rolled his eyes and gave Klaus and Selina a look. "Don't tell me the two of you-"

"No," Selina interrupted, shaking her head. "Because you and Astrid were out of town at that magic convention, I had to leave Adrian at Margaret's while Klaus and I attended a birthday party for Elijah's girlfriend Susan."

"We didn't really want to," Klaus said quickly. "Mother forced us. Although we _did_ manage to get some time alone in a coat closet."

"Anyway," Selina continued, "After the party, we went to the boardinghouse to pick up Adrian. Things seemed okay from the outside, but when I got inside, I found out that he'd chewed through things, and made things catch on fire and started all the manner of chaos. Margaret looked awful. He did quite the number on her, poor girl." She looked at Adrian and sighed. "We probably shouldn't go out again until he starts talking. I had no idea he was going to be such a problem. He's always good when I'm around him."

"Well so am I," Klaus said. "But you know how _I _am when you aren't around."

Selina nodded. "Unfortunately I do. Why I didn't make the connection, I have no idea." But she smiled indulgently anyway and ruffled Adrian's hair. "He'll be better in a couple of years," she said. "I know it."

* * *

><p>She turned out to be right. By the time Adrian was four, he was actually very well-rounded and surprisingly polite. Part of it was due to the fact that Selina and Elijah worked with him daily on his social skills, as well as teaching him openly and firmly about the special abilities he possessed. The other part was the fact that right after Adrian had turned one, Alistair and Astrid had married, and soon after that, they'd had a child of their own, a little girl named Helene, who Adrian was surprisingly attached to.<p>

"Adrian's doing really well," Selina told Klaus in bed one night. "I think he's ready to be put in preschool."

"What" Klaus sat up. "Preschool? Why would we want to send him there?"

"So he can make friends his own age," Selina said. "I think it would be good for him."

Klaus shook his head. "I don't think so," he said. "Putting Adrian in a room with children that he's clearly physically and mentally superior to sounds like a terrible plan to me."

Selina grinned and slowly ran her finger along the underside of his member. "Please?" She said.

Klaus groaned and kissed her, moving her so that she was underneath him. "You really are a manipulative little vixen," he said. "Waiting until I'm vulnerable to get exactly what you want."

"Oh, please," Selina nipped his lip. "You're _never_ vulnerable. But because I knew you were going to say yes, I've made an appointment with the headmaster of an exclusive preschool in town. They have a process before he can get in, and it starts with an interview we have to go to the day after tomorow."

He pulled away from her. "Do I have to wear a suit?"

She nodded. "Yes, you do."

He thrusted into her and she screamed.

* * *

><p>Two days later, Selina and Klaus strode into the lobby of a tall office building, heading straight for the elevator. "This doesn't look much like a school to me," Klaus whispered, pulling at his tie. "What are we doing here?"<p>

"This isn't the school," Selina said. "This is just the place where they do all the preparatory interviews. Now stop messing with your tie. You're going to make it askew."

"I don't even see why I have to dress like this in the first place," Klaus snapped.

"Because we have to look presentable," Selina said. "We have to prove to the people here that Adrian comes from parents who aren't completely insane. If they knew what we were really like, they probably wouldn't let him in."

They reached the elevator. "Forty-five floors," Klaus sighed. "What floor are the offices on?"

Selina took a deep breath and smoothed the skirt of her navy blue suit. "It's on the top floor," she said. "It's going to take us awhile to get there. That's why I wanted to get here so early."

The elevator came and they stepped inside. Selina watched as Klaus did something to the window.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

He grinned. "Making it so everyone else has an urge to take the stairs." He put his arms around her. "So," he said, "I say we should take this opportunity and-" Selina gasped as she felt his hand move up her thigh. She shook her head and pushed him away.

"No," she said, shaking her head resolutely. "We can't do that now. It'll mess up our clothes. And it'll probably lead to questions. We can't touch each other until the interview is over. I'll stand in this corner of the elevator, and you stand in that one."

He sighed and rolled his eyes. "Oh, all right," he said. "I completely understand. No touching and no talking for two hours. I get it." He went to stand in the corner of the elevator that was diagonal from hers.

They stood in silence with him watching her intently. Then he started laughing. "What's so funny?" She asked suspiciously.

"Nothing," he said, but a wicked smile still clung to his lips.

"Oh, my god," Selina said. "You're standing there and undressing me with your eyes, aren't you?"

"To be completely accurate," Klaus told her, "I'm picturing you naked. I never see you with clothes on anymore."

Selina blushed. "Oh, please." She said.

"It's true," he said, striding toward her. His gaze was intense.

"No," Selina shook her head. "Stay in your corner."

Suddenly, the elevator made a loud noise and Selina gave a loud shriek as she was thrown into Klaus' arms. He grinned and held her tightly. "That worked out well," he remarked.

Selina was panting. "What the hell was that?" She asked.

He shrugged. "I don't know," he said. "Maybe we've broken down."

"What?" Selina said. "We can't have broken down! We have a meeting to get to!" She began pounding on the doors, but they wouldn't budge.

"We're on the 44th floor too," Klaus said. "So close to where we're supposed to be."

The elevator swayed and Selina screamed. "What if this thing snaps?" She asked. "The cable, I mean? We could plunge downward and that would be the end of us!"

"Relax," Klaus said. "If we're going to die, which you obviously think we are, there are much more productive ways to spend our last moments on earth. Would you like me to tell you about them?"

Selina looked pained and came to stand next to him. "I really hate this," she told him. Then, the power went out. "Can anything else go wrong?" Selina shouted.

Klaus eased her down to the floor and began undressing her. "This is pointless," Selina said. "You can't even _see _anything."

"Shhh..." he said. She choked on a scream as he loomed over her, and then began breathing hard as he eased down her panties and ran his tongue up her thigh. Then, he put his finger inside her and began swirling it around, She bucked upward and shrieked. He then captured her mouth in his and she threw her arms around his neck, grinding her hips against his. He pulled out of her and placed his hand just under her belly button, trailing gently downward, the feeling of his fingers moving lightly over her pelvic bone and mound making her shiver.

She was panting now. She needed him inside her. She bucked forward again and slowly reached out for him. "Come inside me, please," she whispered.

"All right," he said. He entered her slowly, and then pulled out when he was halfway in. He repeated this two more times before he finally entered her fully, her release causing the elevator to rock dangerously. She breathed raggedly, sitting up slowly. "Wow," she said. "I had no idea..."

"I told you I knew your body well," he said.

She couldn't see him in the dark, but she knew he was grinning.

She took a deep breath. "After I do you, maybe we should call somebody to come and get us out."

"No rush," he said. "Take your time."

By the time they were rescued from the elevator, the power had come back on and they'd managed to redress. The repairmen found them smoking cigarettes and once the doors were opened, they struggled out onto the forty-fifth floor to reschedule their interview for the next day.


	12. Going Dutch

Selina woke up with her alarm. She was always very careful to do that now that Adrian was in school. She got out of bed and dressed in black pinstripe pants and a pale blue latern-sleeved blouse. She was about to leave the room when Klaus sat up.  
>"Hey," he said. "Where are you going?"<br>"I have to get Adrian up and get him to school," she said. "And then I promised Astrid I'd look after Helene today while she and Alistair are out with some friends of hers who are in town. I think I'll take her to the zoo. And then I have to bring her back here, stop off at the gym for my yoga and aerobics classes, and then after I pick up Adrian from school, he and I are going to go to the grocery store because the school is having some fundraising bake sale thingy tomorrow and I promised I'd make him a dozen cookies and a dozen brownies. I'm going to let him help me." She winced. "I hope I won't regret that later."  
>"Will I see you at lunch?" Klaus asked.<br>Selina shook her head. "Sorry, no time. But I'll make it up to you tonight, I promise."  
>She left and then Klaus rolled his eyes. She never seemed to have time for him anymore.<p>

* * *

><p>Selina didn't notice Klaus' discontentment, but instead went to Adrian's bedroom door and headed inside, throwing the curtains open. There were slight stirrings under Adrian's blanket, but he didn't get out of bed. Selina sighed. "All right," she said, coming to his bedside and neatly pulling the covers aside. "Time to get up, you."<p>

Adrian curled himself up into a little ball. "No," he said. "I don't want to." He turned away from her. "I'm still sleeping."

Selina picked him up. "Not anymore you aren't." He struggled a little and she had to hold him alway from her so he wouldn't inadvertantly kick her in the kneecap. He leaned his head against her shoulder and then she carried him into the bathroom and turned the sink on. Then, she put some in hand and flicked it onto his face.

"That's cold!" He said. "That wasn't very nice!" He eyed her reproachfully.

She shrugged. "Well if you would have gotten out of bed when I asked you to, then I wouldn't have had to do it, now would I?"

He lapsed into silence and shook his head. He always had the worst case of bedhead she'd ever seen, little blonde spikes sticking up in every direction.

"So what do you want to wear to school today?" Selina asked him. When he made no attempt to choose his own clothes, she picked out jeans and a red and blue striped polo and then quickly dressed him and took him out to the car.

"Do you know what you're going to do in school today?" Selina asked him. The sound of the car always made him a little nervous, so he was more awake now. He shrugged. "I don't know. I think we're talking about the color purple."

"All right," Selina nodded. "Tell me some things that are purple."

He thought a moment. "Grapes can be purple," he said. "And some flowers."

Selina nodded. "That's right. What else did you learn about before?"

Adrian smiled. "The man in the moon."

Selina laughed. "I know that story."

Adrian looked at her. "I have a question," he said seriously.

"What is it?" Selina asked.

"How come your name is Selina? That's a _weird _name. Why isn't your name Margaret or Katie or something?"

Selina smiled. "Speaking of the moon," she said, "That's who Selina was to the Greeks. She was the moon."

"Oh," Adrian nodded as if he understood. Then he frowned. "I don't get it."

"The Greeks believed that all things in nature were controlled by supernatural beings," Selina said. "And Selina was the name of the being that controlled the moon. Later, the name was also given to the being who watched over wild animals too."

Adrian laughed a little. "That's kind of funny for you," he said.

She smiled. "I'm glad you appreciate the irony. That's what my mother was thinking when she saddled me with it too."

"Oh," Adrian nodded. "The one who's dead."

"No," Selina shook her head. "My mother's not dead. She and I just don't talk anymore."

"Why not?" Adrian asked.

"Because she doesn't understand the way I've chosen to live my life," Selina said. "She's not comfortable with the fact that her family are werewolves and I am, and the fact that I've accepted that upset her and she told me to leave her house and never come back. I said 'All right,' and your father and I left. I haven't seen her since."

"I'm sorry," Adrian said.

Selina nodded. "Thank you." She clutched the steering wheel tighter and the two of them lapsed into silence until they reached the school building. "Remember to catch a bunny during recess," Selina warned him. "We don't want you getting into trouble with that. You aren't old enough be taught how to fix it quite yet."

Adrian nodded. "All right, Mommy."

Selina took a deep breath. "Have a good day, Adrian. I'll be back to pick you up when school is over."

As he ran toward the building, she pulled out of the parking lot and then looked at her list to see where she had to go next.

* * *

><p>"Thank you so much for watching her," Astrid said as she let Selina into their house.<p>

"No problem," Selina said, taking a seat on a sofa. "You'd do the same for me, wouldn't you?"

Astrid nodded. "Of course." She went and got Helene, who resembled Alistair greatly. She wasn't much of a smiler and when she was plunked down on Selina's lap, she was wearing an expression of such severity that Selina burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Astrid asked.

"Nothing," Selina said, a smile still on her lips. "It's just that sometimes she looks so much like Alistair that I get nervous."

"Yeah," Astrid nodded and tickled her tummy and then Helen burst into giggles. "That's better," Selina said. Helene snuggled against her. "Do you want to go to the zoo?" Selina asked her. She nodded.

"That sounds great," Astrid said. "I'll get her sunscreen so she doesn't burn."

"Good thing you remembered that," Selina told her. "Because I sure wouldn't."

Astrid brought it out and began smearing it all over Helene's arms, legs and cheeks. "Is Adrian coming too?" She asked.

"No," Selina shook her head. "He had school today. Apparently they're learning about purple."

"Huh," Astrid nodded.

"And Klaus was kind of upset this morning, probably because I didn't have time to hang around as long as I usually do. I would have invited him to come to the zoo with us, but you know how Helene's still a little shy around him. Good instincts, I'd say. It makes her a heck of a lot smarter than me." Selina grinned.

Astrid took her hand. "Do you still need to wear your daylight ring now that you're a hybrid?" She asked.

"You know," Selina looked at it. "I never really thought about that. But I think I'll just keep it on. It would feel kind of strange to be without it after keeping it all these years. And I wouldn't want to take any chances. Could you maybe ask Alistair if he knows whether or not I'd be safe without it?"

Astrid nodded. "Sure I will."

Selina took Helene back and then the two of them left for the zoo where they spent most of the day laughing at the tricks the penguins did because the peacocks were allowed to roam free at the zoo and Helene was scared of the noise they made.

By the time Selina got Helene back to Astrid, it was time to go to her workout clases. It wasn't hard to find a spot since she had somehow become the teacher's pet and was always upfront anyway. Her clothing for that was new, a light pink hooded sweatshirt that had #1 on the back and stopped at her midriff, gray sweatshorts that had "Hottie" on the butt in sparkly light pink cursive, and white tennis shoes with hot pink streaks on the sides.

Afterward, she showered off, got herself covered up and went to pick up Adrian.

"Did you learn about purple today?" Selina asked him as he ran into her open arms. He was always much happier to see her _after _school.

"Yes," Adrian nodded. "Are we making the cookies now?"

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "But we have to get the ingridients at the grocery store first."

They drove to the grocery store and filled three carts with eggs, flour and other ingriedients before they were able to stuff the trunk full and head home.

* * *

><p>When they were situated in the kitchen and had all the ingriedients layed out, Selina looked at Adrian. "Would you like to make brownies or cookies first?" She asked.<p>

"Brownies," Adrian said immediately.

"All right," Selina nodded. "Go get two eggs for me."

Adrian went and got the eggs, standing by the mixing bowl to wait for his next instruction. "Now," she said, "I want you to crack them _gently _against the bowl and let the eggs fall in the bowl but don't let any shell get in the way."

Adrian nodded and did surprisingly well. They didn't even need to use any of the extra eggs this time. There was an incident with the flour however, which resulted in both of them getting covered with the entire bag, and that was followed by a batter fight, which only stopped when a voice made them freeze. "You know," Klaus said, "It's a sad day when _I'm _the most mature one in this house. What happened in here?"

"Mommy spilled the flour," Adrian said immediately. "And then she threw batter at me."

"Ah," Klaus nodded. "So _Mommy _started this."

Adrian nodded. "Uh-huh."

Klaus strode into the kitchen and pulled a chocolate chip and some batter out of Selina's hair. "We're going to be talking about this later," he said, grinning against her ear. She giggled.

He disappeared and they finished the rest of the brownies and the cookies without further incident, but she was so tired after they finished cleaning up the kitchen that she fell fast asleep and didn't wake up again until morning.

* * *

><p>By Friday morning, Klaus had reached a decision: Selina was staying home that day. How else was he going to get any attention? She'd been so busy all week that she hadn't spent any real time with him at all. When her alarm went off, he pretended to still be asleep, and he opened his eyes a few minutes later. He got up and strode across the room, picking her up as she was making her way out the door. "What are you doing?" She cried. "Put me down! I have to get Adrian up for school!"<p>

He ignored her and tossed her back down on the bed and then began to undress her. When she was just in her bra and panties, he tied her wrists to the bedposts. "You're going to stay here today," he said to her. "_I'll _get Adrian to school." He ran his fingers through her hair and over her stomach. "Don't go anywhere," he grinned.

Her eyes narrowed. "Like I could."

He nodded. "Exactly."

After he shut the door behind him, Selina sighed and stared up at the ceiling. This was going to be an interesting day.

* * *

><p>Adrian was surprised to see that it was Klaus who woke him up. "Where's Mommy?" He asked.<p>

"Well," Klaus said as he watched Adrian get dressed. "I've decided that Mommy needs to stay home today. She's not feeling so well."

"Oh," Adrian nodded. "Okay."

As they drove along toward his school, Adrian asked, "Daddy, how come Mommy lets you sleep in in the morning and I have to get up?"

Klaus grinned at him. "You see," he said, "I know how Mommy's mind works, and you don't. I can say things to her that will make her let me sleep longer."

"Will you teach me how Mommy's mind works?" Adrian asked eagerly.

"No," Klaus shook his head. "That kind of know-how that can't be taught. You just learn it as your life goes on."

"How?" Adrian asked.

"Helene will probably be the one who helps you learn it, I bet," Klaus said.

* * *

><p>When Klaus got back to the house, he found Selina right where he'd put her. "How nice," he said. "You're finally listening to me."<p>

Selina scoffed. "You didn't give me a whole lot of choice, did you?" She asked. "Will you untie me now?"

Klaus shook his head. "I don't think I will," he said, running a finger over the skin just above the waistband of her panties. "I think I'll leave you right where you are." He smiled. "You're so beautiful."

He saw her control start to break. "Oh, yeah?" She said half-heartedly. "I think you're immature, pathetic and stupid!"

He stood over her and grinned. "You're picturing me naked right now, aren't you?"

She cleared her throat. "Yes," she said immediately. "Yes I most certainly am." She gave him a small grin.

He ran his hands over her breasts and she gasped and shifted a little. She ran her tongue over her lips. Then he untied her. "Want a little show?" He whispered.

He stood across from the bed and undressed slowly.

Selina sat up, watching him intently. The more he removed, the wider her eyes got. Slowly, her hand moved down her body. She began touching herself and moaning. There was a glint in Klaus' eyes as he came around and pushed her shoulders down so that she was underneath him on the bed. Then, he kissed her deeply and helped her wiggle out of her panties. When he pulled away, he tied her up again and began stroking her. She stayed still, closed her eyes and gave into the pleasurable sensations that were shooting around her body. When she came, she bolted upward and grabbed Klaus around the neck, hugging him to her. Then, she sank her fangs into his neck and licked the blood up.

When she pulled away, she grinned. "You taste so good," she said. Then, she licked his neck and ran her hands over his abs. "Would you believe me," she whispered, "if I told you I loved your body? I know it seems like I don't, but I do." She began to stroke him. "If I could, I'd never leave our bed." She kissed him.

He put his hands on either side of her face so she was looking right at him. "And this is why I kept you home today," he said. "I knew you needed this. That and when you and Adrian were making cookies and he was hugging you, I got jealous."

She grinned. "I know you and I haven't had as much alone time this week," she planted a trail of kisses down his neck. "I'm sorry." She grinned at him as he shifted position, pushing into her and making her squeal. "Yes!" She cried. "Yes! Yes!"

When they were finished for the moment and lying side by side, they looked at one another. "I can't have another week like this," Klaus confessed. "If I take him to school in the mornings, do I get to come home to this?" He ran his hand over her body and she shivered.

"Yeah," she nodded. "I think you would. And I would wake up more well rested. I always have more energy when I'm well-rested."

He grinned. "Consider it done then."


	13. Trigger

Selina was sound asleep when the door to the bedroom opened with a squeak and two people snuck in. They stood over her for a moment and then pulled out two water pistols, soaking her hair and blankets and sending her shooting up in bed. "Oh, my god!" She shrieked. "What's going _on_?"  
>"Morning, Mommy," Adrian said quietly, then burst into giggles.<br>"What's so funny?" Selina asked.  
>He grinned. "You're all wet!"<br>Selina looked at Klaus who was standing on the other side of the bed, grinning. "I wonder whose idea this was," she said dryly.  
>"It was his," Klaus said, nodding at Adrian. "I just went along with it."<br>Selina scoffed. "Sure, of course you did." She got out of bed and turned to face them. "So what did I do to deserve this?"  
>Adrian shrugged. "Nothing. We just felt like it. Like you do when you wake me up in the morning."<br>Selina shook her head. "That's completely different. Today is Saturday! Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go dry off. And try not to mess up the house too much today, you two. I have that dinner party with the neighbors tonight and I want things to stay tidy." Once she was gone, Klaus looked at Adrian. "Go to the living room," he said. "I'll be with you in a minute."

Adrian nodded. "Okay!" he said and scampered out of the room. Klaus turned away from the door and strode into the bathroom where Selina stood against the sink, towel drying her hair. She noticed him in the mirror and scowled. "I can't believe how wet I am," she said. "That was really low of you, you know that?"

"Is not," Klaus said. "Adrian and I are bonding. It's a good thing."

"Well yeah," Selina turned to face him and put her arms around his neck. "But you aren't supposed to bond against _me._"

Klaus grinned. "Why not?"

Selina frowned and backed away. "All right," she said. "Now I think my feelings are hurt. What did I ever do to you?"

"It's not that you _did_ anything," Klaus said. "It's just a general thing. You're the enemy."

Selina put her hands on her hips. "I am _not_ the enemy. When I tell him to brush his teeth before he goes to bed and stuff like that, it's out of love!"

"Well yes," Klaus said. "I know, but you have this tendency to nag that's more than a little off-putting. Why can't you just tell us once and then assume we'll do what you say?"

"Because it's you," Selina said. "I love both of you, but I don't trust you further than I can throw you."

"Oh," Klaus said curiously, "have you tried throwing Adrian for distance before? You could do it, so that expression's kind of moot."

"Whatever," Selina said. "You know what I mean!"

He nodded. "I suppose I do."

They stared at each other. "Are you going to leave?" Selina asked finally. "Or do I have to push you out?"

"Somebody's in a mood this morning," Klaus said.

"Yes, well that might have to do with the fact that I was abruptly awakened by being soaked with water pistols!" Selina said. "Now just go away so I can get ready for the day, all right?"

"I could stay in here with you and-" Selina picked up a tube of toothpaste and hurled it at the door. "Go...away." She said through her teeth.

Once he was gone, she sighed and turned away. She couldn't believe his gall. Playing a trick like that and then expecting shower time with her? He was unbelievably dense. She turned the shower on and let the water warm up and then she dropped her robe to the floor and stepped inside...

* * *

><p>"Is Mommy mad at us?" Adrian asked as Klaus came to sit next to him on the sofa. "Did we do a bad thing?"<p>

"No," Klaus shook his head. "Mommy's just not a morning person. She'll be better in a little while. Although why she was complaining about being wet and then taking a shower, I have no idea." He shrugged. They watched television in silence for a few moments and then Klaus turned to Adrian and said, "Do you want to go out and do something?"

"Like what?" Adrian asked curiously.

Klaus shrugged. "I don't know. Just something."

"Will it make Mommy even madder at us than she already is?" Adrian asked.

"No," Klaus shook his head. "Of course not! Actually," he said truthfully, "it might, but Mommy won't teach you everything about yourself and sometimes Daddy has to step in."

"Okay," Adrian said.

"And it'll probably be best to leave Mommy alone for a little while," Klaus said, taking Adrian by the hand.

"Yeah," Adrian nodded. "She was pretty angry. Are we going to tell her that we're leaving?"

"No," Klaus said. "She's not going to care if we're gone or not."

* * *

><p>After Selina had showered and dressed, she had a thought. Maybe she'd been a little harsh this morning. She should probably apologize. It would be the best thing. She began wandering around the house, but she didn't see anyone except Rusty, who came to stand by her, barking eagerly. "Did they leave?" She asked him. He barked again, giving something resembling a nod. "How smart of them," Selina said. She scratched Rusty's ears. "Actually," she said, "I'm kind of glad to have them out of the way. It'll be much easier getting ready for my party without them underfoot."<p>

Just then, the doorbell rang and Selina ran to answer it. Astrid and Alistair were on the other side holding chairs. "Come in!" Selina said. "Can I help you at all?"

"No," Alistair said. "I've got it."

"Me too," Astrid nodded. "Now what else do we need to do before tonight?"

Selina consulted her list. "I need to get the linens and silverware out and make up the tables, go pick up the wine and the appetizer platters and then make up dinner. At least it shouldn't take all day."

"We could make it take only a couple of minutes," Alistair said.

"No," Astrid said quickly. "Selina and I are going to do this the old-fashioned way."

"You're going to cook everything?" Alistair asked skeptically. "Have either of you actually cooked anything in your lives?"

"Not really," Selina shook her head. "Well, maybe a long time ago. But I've heard that cooking is like riding a bike; you never forget it."

"Yeah," Astrid said. "We can do it."

"All right," Alistair said. He looked at Selina. "You remember where the fire extinguisher is, right?"

"Yes," Selina nodded, giving him a look. "Now will you just go?"

He looked around the kitchen one last time as if to remember it, sighed and then strode out.

"Okay," Selina said. "Now that he and all his bad thoughts are gone, where should we start?"

"Preheat the oven," Alistair called.

"We knew that," Astrid called back. "We would have figured it out eventually."

"Are you sure you don't want me to come in there and..."

"No!" Astrid and Selina said together. Then, Selina said, "And here I thought I'd get a day _without_ male interference."

"I heard that," Alistair said. "So Klaus and Adrian aren't here?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "They must have left while I was in the shower. I think he's trying to turn Adrian against me."

"Why would he want to do _that_?" Astrid asked.

Selina shrugged. "But when somebody calls you 'the enemy' they don't exactly want hugs and puppies, do they?"

"Maybe it's not as bad as you think," Astrid said. "It could be totally harmless."

Selina scoffed. "_Nothing_ about Klaus is totally harmless." She looked at Alistair. "I don't suppose you could go and spy on them for me, could you? Make sure they aren't up to anything bad?"

"No," Alistair said. "I'm not getting in the middle of these things."

"Fine," Selina said. She stuck the chicken into the oven and shut the door. "We'll just let that go for a couple of hours and then pull it out, shall we?" She turned away from the stove. "Now, onto dessert!"

In the middle of cracking the eggs, Selina gasped, dropping a bit of shell into the bowl and wincing as she had to put her hand in the yolk to fish it out.

"What?" Astrid said.

"I just had a thought," Selina said. "What if Klaus took Adrian out to, you know, tell him about himself...you know, what he is and all?"

"That could be," Astrid nodded. "Is there something wrong with that?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "Not at all. But it's a bit underhanded of him to do it without me. We decided before he was born that when he was old enough to understand what was going on, we'd tell him together."

Astrid hit another egg into the mixing bowl. "Why do you think he'd tell Adrian without you?"

"Oh, I don't know." Selina shrugged. "I have no idea." She turned on the mixer and lapsed into thought as it whirred to life.

* * *

><p>Klaus and Adrian were sitting in the park. Adrian was licking an ice cream cone and watching a group of kids play tag. "I think it's about time we had a talk," Klaus said.<p>

"Am I in trouble?" Adrian asked.

"No," Klaus said. "I just want to talk to you about...yourself."

"Why?" Adrian asked.

"Well aren't you curious about what you are?" Klaus said.

"No," Adrian shook his head. "You're a vampire and Mommy's a vampire, so I'm a vampire."

"Right," Klaus nodded. "But there's something else, too."

"What?" Adrian asked.

"Have you ever gotten really angry?" Klaus asked.

Adrian nodded. "Sometimes when Mommy says I have to go to bed I get mad. One time I threw one of my baseballs into the wall and the wall broke."

"Really?" Klaus asked.

"Yeah," Adrian nodded. "Then Mommy got mad at me and sent me to my room."

"I don't mean like that," Klaus said. "I mean, when you look outside and the moon is full, does it make you feel kind of funny?"

Adrian shrugged. "I don't know." Just then, his ice cream fell to the ground and was immediately desceded on by a bunch of squirrels intent on licking it up.

"Hey!" Adrian cried. "That's _mine!"_

He jumped off the bench and grabbed a squirrel in each hand. Then he ate them. Two by two until they were all gone. Then he winced. "Squirrels are yucky," he said. "And bunnies are yucky. But Mommy makes me eat them." He looked at Klaus. "Does Mommy eat bunnies?"

"No," Klaus said. "Mommy doesn't eat bunnies. She eats people. They taste much better."

Adrian frowned. "Then how come she says I have to eat bunnies?"

"I don't know," Klaus said. He eyed the children playing tag. "Do you want to try hunting some people now?"

"Yes I do," Adrian said. "Are you going to tell Mommy that I did it?"

"No," Klaus said. "Of course not. It'll be our little secret."

"Okay!" Adrian said. He paused. "What were you talking about the moon?"

Klaus shook his head. "I'll explain later." He then taught Adrian how to stalk and lure away prey and they managed to catch and kill two of the kids before Klaus decided Adrian had had enough for one day.

"Will Mommy be proud of me?" Adrian asked in the car on the way back home.

"Sure she will," Klaus said.

"I'm going to tell her the second we get back," Adrian said happily.

"No, you can't tell her," Klaus said. "You can't tell Mommy anything about what we did today until I say it's all right. Do you understand me?"

"All right," Adrian said. "But why?"

"Because I said so," Klaus told him.

"Are you scared of Mommy?" Adrian asked.

"No," Klaus scoffed. "Of course I'm not scared of Mommy!"

"Then why can't we tell her?" Adrian asked.

"Look," Klaus said shortly, "We're going to tell her eventually, all right? Just not now!"

Adrian lapsed into silence after that and didn't speak again until they entered the house. "I smell cake!" Adrian said immediately perking up and running for the kitchen where Selina was frosting the three-layer devil's food cake she'd made.

"Hi, Mommy!" Adrian said, sidling up next to her. "Can I have cake?"

"I suppose," Selina said. "But you can't touch this one. I saved a little piece for you that's separate. It's over there on the table."

"Thank you!" Adrian said and sat down, fork in hand. Astrid and Alistair had headed home a short time before.

"So," Selina said when Klaus came into the kitchen. "Did you two have a good time today?"

"Yes we did," Adrian nodded. "I got ice cream and and then we went to the woods and set things on fire."

"What?" Selina said, turning quickly to Klaus. "Why would you let him do that?"

"He asked me if he could," Klaus said without missing a beat. "He didn't hurt himself or anything. We were very careful."

Selina sighed. "All right then," She said. "Now go get dressed. People are going to start arriving soon."

Klaus and Adrian gave each other sulky looks and then shuffled off to get changed.

* * *

><p>"Why do we have to go to this stupid thing anyway?" Adrian asked.<p>

"Because Mommy doesn't think we have enough friends so she's trying to get some more," Klaus said. Selina had come in and done up their ties a few minutes before and they were both pulling at them to try and get them off.

"What if she wants us to eat them?" Adrian asked. "Can we do it?"

Klaus sighed. "Of course your mother wouldn't invite people over and let us eat them. She's not that kind of person."

"But you said she ate people," Adrian said.

"She does," Klaus nodded.

"So why can't we do it?" Adrian asked.

"We can't let her get suspicious about what we did, so let's just play nice tonight," Klaus said. "She'd appreciate that."

"Or it would make her even more suspicious," Adrian said.

Klaus ignored him. They heard the front door open and voices in the front hallway. "All right," Selina said, opening the door and looking at them. "No more hiding away, you two. Company's here." She was wearing a knee-length mauve dress with a matching wrap and her hair was up.

Klaus and Adrian looked at each other one last time and then followed her dutifully from the bedroom. The party went off without a hitch, much to Selina's surprise. She felt much better with Astrid sitting next to her, and she knew somehow that just having Helene next to him was keeping Adrian in check.

When everyone had gone, Adrian said, "Can I take off my tie now?"

"Yes you can," Selina said, following him to his bedroom and helping him get ready for bed.

Once he was asleep, Selina went back to her room. Klaus was already tucked in. "Everything go all right?" He asked.

"Yeah," she said as she began undressing. Then she got in bed next to him and kissed him.

"What was that for?" Klaus asked. "You were plenty mad this morning."

"Well," Selina ran her hands over him. "Maybe I was a little harsh. Thanks for helping me out tonight. I know suits and dinner parties aren't your favorite things."

"I admit," he said, kissing her, "that I did that for shallow reasons." He situated her underneath him and worked his hand up her thigh.

"I figured that," she said, grinning. "I'm not a complete idiot." She moaned as he entered her and kissed her deeply. Then, she ran kisses down his neck and stroked him.

He licked her stomach. "You taste so good," he whispered. Then he kissed downward from her belly button and entered her with his tongue. She bucked upward, giggling and yelling his name.

When it was all over, she was breathing hard. He pulled her up to a sitting position, pulled her to him and then let her hair loose, playing with it, grinning when she sank her fangs into his neck and licked up the blood that spurted out of the wound.

"Take more," he whispered.

"Why?" She asked. "Because you like it?" She licked him again.

"Because you need it," Klaus said. "Alistair told me. If you have enough, you won't die if Vanessa or Hazel try to pull anything."

"You still think we're in danger from them?" Selina asked, mid-lick.

Klaus nodded. "I got a call from Enid," he said. "She says we need to be careful."

* * *

><p>On Tuesday, Adrian was sent home from preschool for fighting. He'd bitten another boy and then things had progressed very quickly from there and by the time the teacher had found them, they'd had to call the ambulance. Now it was doubtful whether or not Adrian would be allowed back.<p>

"What were you _thinking_?" Selina said, keeping her hands tight on the wheel so she didn't strangle him. "How many times have Uncle Elijah and I told you that fighting people is wrong unless they fight you first?"

"He did fight me first," Adrian said. "He took my toys."

"So you tell the teacher and then she'll get the toys back for you," Selina said. "You don't beat the kid nearly to death. You just hope that kid is still breathing in the morning."

"Daddy would be proud of me," Adrian said resentfully. "When I killed the kids at the park, he told me I did a good job."

"_What?_" Selina yelled, braking so fast that Adrian hit the back of her seat. "What did you say?"

"Daddy let me kill kids at the park," Adrian said. "And he didn't yell at me afterwards!"

"Well he wouldn't, would he?" Selina snapped. "He has no moral compass whatsoever."

They got home and Selina ordered Adrian to go to his room and not come out. Then, she headed to her own bedroom.

"You have a lot of explaining to do," Selina said to Klaus, her voice shaking as she slammed the door behind her.

"What?" Klaus asked. "What did I do?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "Don't you use that phony playing dumb expression on me. How could you encourage Adrian to kill people? He got into a fight with another boy today and they don't know if the kid's going to make it. And when the two of you were at the park? I _wish_ the two of you had been setting things on fire!"

"Adrian told you what we did at the park?" Klaus asked.

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "He did."

"I told him not to yet," Klaus said.

"Oh," Selina nodded. "So you were encouraging him to keep things from me?"

"We were going to tell you eventually!" Klaus said.

"Yeah, right." Selina said bitterly. "I'm sure you were."

"I don't see what you're so upset about," Klaus said. "Killing people is in his nature. And don't you act so saintly. You've done it."

She nodded. "I know I have."

"So why are you upset?" Klaus asked. "Will you just tell me?"

"There was a reason why I wanted us to tell him together," she said. "Adrian's not like us, okay? We got our werewolf genes activated magically. He has to do it the old fashioned way: he has to kill someone. Thanks to you, he has. You know what's going to happen at the next full moon, don't you? Klaus, he's just a little boy! He doesn't even _know_ about his werewolf side yet. And now he'll transform and it'll hurt him..." She burst into tears. "I have to go," she said. "I can't be around you right now."


	14. Straight and True

Klaus grabbed her by the arm so she couldn't go any farther out of the room. "You aren't running out again," he said.  
>"You're right," Selina said through her teeth. "I'm not. I'm going to come back eventually."<br>"There's a surprise," Klaus' lip quirked. "You berate me for handling him 'wrong' and yet in your anger you leave him alone with me. Susceptible to my...bad...influence." He began to play with her hair.  
>"Stop doing that," Selina snapped.<br>"You know you don't really want to go," he told her. "You never do."  
>Sighing, she turned. "Just tell me what you were thinking," she said. "What in the hell was going through your head?"<br>"Just what you said," he told her. "That he needs to learn about his werewolf side. I was in the process of telling him."  
>"Why now?" Selina asked. "When he's clearly too young to understand anything?"<br>He pulled her to him. "Start them young," he whispered in her ear. "Why not?" He began nibbling on her ear and she lay her head against his shoulder. He ran one hand down her back and kept the other around her shoulder. Then he picked her up and carried her to the bed where he slowly undressed her and entered her. She moaned and put her arms around him. "You're beautiful," he whispered.  
>She leaned forward and kissed him. "You know," she whispered as she pulled away, "You're the first person to ever really tell me that."<br>He kissed her again and pushed into her. "When we take over the world," he said, "We'll go back to that little town you lived in and kill everyone who didn't think you were pretty." He shifted her and began running a trail of kisses down her neck and onto her collarbone.  
>"Do we have to kill them?" Selina asked. "Why can't we just compel them to tell me I'm pretty?"<br>"No!" Klaus said forcefully. There was fire in his eyes. "I'm the only one who's allowed to tell you you're pretty," he said. "Because," he ran his fingertips down her stomach, just barely touching her. She shivered. "I'm the only one who really knows how beautiful you are and really means it."  
>He grinned. "I can't wait to work with Adrian now that he's reaching his potential. It's going to be so wonderful."<br>"So he's a tool?" Selina said. "Something to help you achieve your aims?"  
>"Of course," Klaus nodded.<br>"Let me guess," Selina said. "I am too? So what was all that crap about being in love with me then? Lines to lull me into a false sense of security?"  
>Klaus laughed. "Well, I had to say <em>something<em> to get you to stay. You're worse than the runaway bride."  
>"I can't believe you would do this," Selina said. "Knowing my history like you do, lying about loving me. That's just horrible."<br>"Did you mean it when you said it to me?" He asked her. "Or did you just say it because you thought that's what I wanted to hear?"  
>"It felt weird, frankly." Selina said.<br>"And that's why we work," Klaus said. "Not because we love each other at all. We do not love, we do not care."  
>"So what's left?" Selina asked.<br>"Regard, autonomy, and sexual satisfaction." Klaus said, grinning.

Selina thought a moment. "I guess I could live with that."

He grinned. "How about this weekend you and I celebrate our newfound understanding by getting very drunk and spending the whole weekend in bed?"

"Well," Selina said, "it seems to me like we're already in bed right now."

"Well yes, but eventually you're going to make us get out so we can go tend to Adrian." Klaus said. "I meant with no distractions."

"So you're suggesting that we leave Adrian here, go to a hotel somewhere, get drunk and have sex all weekend?" Selina said.

"Yes," Klaus nodded. "Do you have a problem with that?"

She thought a moment, then shook her head. "No, not really. I just wanted to be absolutely sure what I was getting into."

"You'll be getting into me, that's for sure," Klaus said. He grinned.

She rolled her eyes. "Well aren't you a charmer."

He nipped her. "People say that," he said. "Just curious, why are you agreeing to this so quickly? Usually you'd waffle for a good long time."

"Please," Selina said. "I haven't done anything not-motherly in four years. It's about time. And it's not like it's going to be forever. I'm sure that if we phrased our plan in exactly the right way, Alistair and Astrid would be happy to watch him. They'd probably bring Helene along too."

"So you don't think it would be a good idea to tell him that we want to just go away and have sex?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "He'd give us that annoying look of disproval if we did that. We should make it sound all meaningful and romantic. That'll get us what we want."

Just then, there was a knock on the bedroom door. "Mommy, are you in there?" Adrian called. "Can I come _out_ now?"

"Just a minute!" Selina called, scrambling to put her clothes back on. "And that you very much for knocking. Mommy appreciates it."

* * *

><p>After she and Klaus had dressed, they took Adrian into the living room. "Adrian," Selina said quietly, "We have to talk."<p>

"I know," Adrian said, shifting his gaze downward. "Killing people is bad. I did a bad thing."

Selina sighed. "Not exactly. I may have blown things out of proportion a little when I picked you up from school today and you told me."

"Really?" Adrian asked. "So I'm not in trouble?"

"We'll just call this a learning experience," Selina said.

"Learning about what?" Adrian asked curiously.

Klaus took over now. "Remember how you and I were talking in the park about the full moon?"

"Yeah," Adrian nodded. "And how I threw my baseball and it made a hole in the wall?"

"Yes," Klaus nodded. "Do you know why you did that?"

Adrian shook his head. "No, do you?"

"Yes," Klaus said. "It's because you have the potential to be a werewolf."

"What?" Adrian said. "No I don't. A person can't be a werewolf and a vampire at the same time!"

"We are," Selina said, pointing to herself and Klaus.

"Really?" Adrian said. "So I act crazy during the full moon 'cause I'm a werewolf?"

"You aren't exactly a werewolf," Selina said. "You just have something in your body called a gene that says you become one if you do a certain thing. When you killed the kids in the park, you did the thing."

"So I'm going to be a werewolf?" Adrian asked. "Yay!"

"Don't be so enthusiastic about it," Klaus said. "That makes Mommy upset."

"Why?" Adrian asked, sitting down on the sofa.

"Because my mommy had werewolf potential too," Selina said. "So did and does her whole family. Her older brother became a full-fledged werewolf when she was a little girl and he got killed. After that, the family denied what they were, and when I came along, my mother lived in constant fear that I'd become a werewolf too and get killed like my uncle was. And when I was a little girl, about the same age as you, I almost became a werewolf myself," she told Adrian. "A man who worked for my other uncle got drunk one night and tried to hurt me. It was during a full moon and I became so out of control that I almost killed him. Only my cousin Michael's interference saved my life. Mama _really _watched me carefully after that."

"Are you sad that you're a werewolf?" Adrian asked.

"No," Selina said. "It's just that once the gene is active, you have to transform every time there's a full moon. The process is complicated and it hurts quite a bit the first time. I didn't want you going through that when you were so young. That's why I got upset. Not because I didn't want you to know about your werewolf heritage. That wasn't the point at all."

"Does it really hurt?" Adrian asked, eyes wide. "Cause I don't like things when they hurt."

"Don't worry," Selina said. "Mommy's got a plan that will make everything better."

* * *

><p>Selina headed into Enid's bar and sat down at her usual barstool.<br>"Hey," Pete grinned. "It's been awhile since we've seen you. Are you all right?"  
>Selina sighed. "Well, yes and no. Despite Klaus' and my solemn vow not to tell adrian about his vampire side until a long time from now, Klaus told him, had him kill some kids in the park and now guess what that means?"<br>Pete nodded. "I know what that means. But Adrian's so young. What was Klaus thinking?"  
>Selina shrugged. "'Start them young' he said. He's really running with that idea that the two of us are going to take over the world some day. I'd never tell him this, but actually, I kind of like the idea. Just a little bit." She grinned.<br>"Do you want a drink?" Pete asked.  
>"Martini, please," Selina said. "And is Enid around, do you know? I have to ask her something."<br>"Sure," Pete nodded. He mixed up her drink and plopped it down in front of her. "I'll go have a look around," he said.  
>"Thanks," Selina nodded.<br>He returned with Enid a few minutes later.  
>"How are you, dear?" She asked. "And how's Adrian? I've been worried about him."<br>"Because he's officially on the fast track to becoming a werewolf now?" Selina asked.  
>Enid's face sank. "He is? Then Hazel must have gotten to him. She was the little boy who provoked him."<br>"Really?" Selina asked.  
>"Yes," Enid nodded.<br>"So about that," Selina said. "Is there anything you can do to undo what Hazel did? Can you make it so Adrian won't become a werewolf?"  
>Enid balanced her elbows on the bar. "Normally I'd say no, but I'll make an exception this time. It won't stop him from turning entirely, but it'll delay his transformation until his thirteenth birthday. Is that any better?"<br>"Yeah," Selina nodded. "It sure is. What do we do now?"

"Bring him by tomorrow," Enid said. "I'll have everything ready by then."

"Thanks again," Selina said as she finished her martini and stood up. "I really appreciate this. And bye Pete," she called. "I'm going to head out now, but I'll be back tomorrow."

"And she'll have Adrian with her," Enid said.

"Great," Pete grinned. "I can't wait to see the little guy. I haven't seen him since he was born."

Selina grinned. "See you two tomorrow."

* * *

><p>"Where are we going again, Mommy?" Adrian asked from the backseat.<p>

"We're going to the place where you were born," Selina said. "I want you to meet some people."

"We're going to a hospital?" Adrian asked. "Do I have to get a shot?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "You weren't born in a hospital. You were actually born in a bar."

"What's a bar?" Adrian asked.

"It's where people go to drink alcohol," Selina said. "You won't be allowed to do that for years though, so don't ask."

"Why was I born in a bar?"

"Because I got shot around the same time you decided you wanted to be born and the bar was where the woman who delivered you was," Selina said.

Adrian's eyes widened. "You got shot while I was in your tummy?"

"Yeah," Selina said. "I also got stabbed and nearly drowned. You had a very exciting existence, even before you were born."

"Uh huh," Adrian nodded.

Selina cleared her throat. "Now, you're mainly going to see two people: the guy standing behind the bar is named Pete. He's a werewolf and one of my good friends. There'll be a woman named Enid too. She's the one who created werewolves and what she's going to do is make some magic so that you don't have to became a werewolf _now_ since you're so little."

"That's good," Adrian said.

Selina nodded. "It's _very_ good."

"When will I become a werewolf?"

"Not for eight years," Selina said. "And by then the transition won't be so difficult."

They arrived at Enid's and parked and Selina led Adrian inside. He looked around the bar and smiled. "Hi, people," he said.

The few people who were sitting around just smiled back at him. One of them called for Pete, who came out wiping his hands on a dish towel. He was wearing a black t-shirt featuring the band KISS. "Hey," he said when he saw them. "We wondered when you two were going to get here." He saw Adrian and got down on one knee. "Hi," he said. "I'm Pete."

"I'm Adrian," Adrian said. "Was I really born here?"

"Yes you were," Pete said.

Adrian tried to get on one of the barstools and Pete finally had to lift him up. Adrian looked at Selina. "Can I have a drink, Mommy?" he asked.

"Sure," Selina nodded.

"I've got just the thing for you," Pete grinned. After a few minutes, he produced a mixture of cranberry juice and lemonade with a cherry and a little umbrella in it. "Thank you," Adrian said. "That looks good."

Pete nodded. "No problem."

After he finished his juice, Enid came out and led Adrian and Selina back to her office. Once they stepped inside, Adrian wrinkled his nose. "It smells funny in here."

"That's just from the stuff I had to use for the potion I made for you," Enid said.

"Is a potion like medicine?" Adrian asked.

"I suppose you could say that," Enid said. "Now you have to drink every drop of what I give you, otherwise it won't work. All right?"

Adrian nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

"Wow," Selina said, looking at Enid. "He won't even say that to _me._"

"But she made me be born," Adrian said.

"And what do you suppose I did?" Selina asked.

"You helped," Adrian said.

Selina nodded. "You're damn right I helped. I did way more than that, actually."

Enid cleared her throat. "Alistair was right," she said. "You really _do _have trouble focusing, don't you?"

"Sorry," Selina said.

Enid disappeared for a moment and then returned with a glass full of steaming blue liquid that she handed to Adrian, who scrunched up his nose again. "Remember," she said, "Drink every little bit."

Adrian looked in the glass nervously before gulping it down, coughing and sputtering. "That was icky!" he said.

"Well I didn't say it was going to taste _good," _Enid told him.

Just then, they heard a loud noise and something shot straight through Enid's office door, hitting Adrian squarely in the chest. He fell to the ground and his eyes closed. After that, Vanessa appeared. She looked at Adrian's prone body and a grin slowly spread over her face. "Looks like I win," she said.


	15. Her Halo

Selina stared down at Adrian's prone body, at the blood seeping from his chest, and felt something switch on in her. She looked up at Vanessa's smirking face, stood up, and rushed at her. "You _bitch_!" She cried. But when she reached Vanessa, the latter just burst out laughing and disappeared. "That's right," Selina said. "I forgot that she could be all misty if she chose to." Selina got down on her knees again and tried to take a deep breath. Tears began falling from her eyes and one of them landed on Adrian's nose. His eyes opened. "Ow," he said. "Mommy, my tummy hurts." He put his hand around the dart and went to pull it out. "No, honey don't," Enid said. "You might hurt yourself even more."

Adrian kept his hand still and looked at Selina. "What's the matter, Mommy?" He asked. "Why are you crying?"

"You were dead," Selina said.

"No, I wasn't, silly." Adrian said.

Selina nodded. "Yes, you were! I saw it! I was standing right here!" She looked at Enid. "I _did_ see that, right? How could he be sitting up and talking to me like nothing happened?"

Enid shrugged. "I don't know exactly, but if I were to hazard a guess, it would probably be because he's got his father's blood in him. Klaus can't be killed easily, can he?"

"No," Selina said. "None of the Originals can."

Enid smiled. "Poor Vanessa underestimating her own creation. This could be a boon for us though. I believe Vanessa thinks she's killed him, so we won't have to worry about her or Hazel anymore, at least for awhile."

"My tummy hurts," Adrian said. "Can we get this out now?" He nodded at the thing protruding from his stomach.

"Of course," Enid got up from her desk and came around to kneel at his head. Then she gently reached out and pulled it out. "Better?" She asked him.

Adrian nodded, then he pulled up his shirt to have a look at his wound. He had only a second to marvel before it disappeared. "That was cool," he said.

Selina hugged him to her tightly. "I'm just so glad you aren't dead!" She said.

Adrian began to flail his arms. "Mommy, you're squishing me!"

Selina pulled away, smiling. "Sorry about that," she said, ruffling his hair.

"How long has it been since you've had a vacation?" Enid asked Selina.

"In what sense?" Selina replied.

"How long has it been since you and Klaus have truly had time alone?" Enid clarified.

"Not since Adrian was born, I guess," Selina said, standing up from the floor. "Why?"

"We could watch him here for awhile if you'd like," Enid said.

"Well, it's not like he has school to go to anymore. And if it wouldn't be too much trouble..." Selina trailed off.

Enid shook her head. "It wouldn't be. You just go and have a good time, dear."

Selina grinned and gave Enid a hug. "Thank you," she said. "For everything." Then she turned and ran out of the bar, got into her car and drove away.

* * *

><p>Selina opened the door of the house and stepped inside. She was met with silence, but she didn't care. She was too happy. She went into her and Klaus' bedroom. He looked up as she came in. "Are you ready to go?" He asked her.<p>

"Go where?" Selina asked.

"To our wild weekend of drinking and debauchery. Did you get someone to take care of Adrian?"

"Actually yes," Selina nodded.

"You seem in a good mood," he said. "What's going on?"

She sobered. "Sorry. I know we don't do good moods around here."

"That's not true," he said. "Did you kill somebody?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "Well, somebody _did_ die, sort of. But then he came back to life and so that was okay."

"What?" Klaus asked.

"Oh," Selina shrugged. "I was at Enid's with Adrian because she said she could delay his werewolf transformation until later and then Vanessa showed up and shot him through with this scary looking weapon thing. I thought he was dead and then he sat up like nothing happened. Enid suspect's that's cause of you."

"Why would you want to delay his werewolf transformation?" Klaus asked.

"Because he's little," Selina said. "He has no idea what it means to go through transformation. It would scare the hell out of him and you know it. He's not ready."

Klaus rolled his eyes. "I think you're turning into your mother."

Selina's eyes widened. "I'm _not," _she said. "I don't deny that he has a werewolf side. I don't even deny that he should be in touch with it. I'm just saying that we should hold off until he gets to be a little older and we've actually had time to explain it all to him."

Klaus just grinned and shook his head. "My dear," he said, "All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. Men never do and that's theirs."

Selina smirked. "Well I guess Algernon Moncrieff never met you."

"So are we going to go or not?" Klaus asked.

"I guess," Selina nodded. "I just need to get packed first-"

"Why would you think that you need to bring _clothes _for a weekend of wild, drunken debauchery?" Klaus asked.

Selina smiled and shook her head. "Not _clothes _clothes," Selina said. "Other kinds of clothes."

"Ah," He grinned. "Carry on then."

He watched her for a few minutes. "Bring your workout clothes, would you?" He asked.

She looked up. "You don't mean the ones with the shorts that say 'hottie' on the ass."

"Yes," he nodded and put his arms around her, his hand going down her back and over her butt. He grinned "I didn't know you advertised."

"I just bought those for a joke," she said. "They're comfy. I'm not _advertising_ anything."

She began to throw sets of lingerie into a small bag, and, with a roll of her eyes, her workout clothes too.

"I can't wait to see how flexible you are," He said.

She backed him up against the wall and began unbuttoning his shirt. "Want a little preview?" She asked. She kissed him deeply and he backed her onto the bed and undressed her slowly.

She was breathing heavily by the time she lay naked before him, her hands tied to the bedposts. "I thought we were going out to do this?" She said.

He peeled off his shirt. "Now that we're here alone," he said, "I see no reason to go anywhere else." He knocked her half-packed bag off the bed. "We _are_ alone, aren't we?" He asked.

Selina nodded, staring up at him. "Yeah. Adrian's at Enid's. She said she thought we needed a vacation." His gaze was so intense that she almost felt self-conscious. It was weird, like his eyes were touching her, even though his hands were at his sides.

"Aren't you going to touch me?" She asked.

"Actually," he said, "I had a little something else in mind."

"What?" Selina asked.

"I'll tell you over a drink," he said.

* * *

><p>Klaus watched Selina down her fourth glass of wine. He knew how alcohol affected her. Alistair had told him once, and if he was the type of person who cared, he probably wouldn't be giving her so much. But the way he saw it, it wouldn't hurt her to loosen up a little.<p>

"So," Selina said, grinning widely. "What did you have in mind for tonight?"

"I thought up a new game for us," he said. "It's where you pretend you're compelled and do whatever I say."

Selina giggled. "You're lucky I'm so drunk," she said. "Otherwise I'd never agree to that."

He grinned. "Come now, darling," he said. "I'd never ask you to do anything you haven't done already."

"Oh, really?" Selina asked. "Then it won't be very interesting now will it?" She gulped down the rest of her drink. "Get me started," she said. "And don't be shy." She grinned.

She leaned back against the bed, waiting.

"Well," he said, "let's start up with a little warm up, shall we?"

"You're the boss," she chirped.

He smirked and climbed onto the bed, looming over her. "Would...you...like...some...help?" She asked, planting kisses on the area just above the waistband of his pants.

He nodded. "Oh, yes, please."

She unbucked and zipped him, then pulled him down to her, kissing him deeply. When he pulled away, she looked a little sheepish. "Sorry," she said. "I know I'm supposed to be doing what you say."

"You're off to a very good start," he told her. They rolled around, nearly bringing the chandelier down again, and then when they were both panting heavily, Selina emerging from under the covers where she'd been working on him intensely, he noticed her wine glass was empty.

"Would you like some more? He asked her.

"Yes," she nodded. "I would." He got out of bed and he took the glasses with him. When he came back, he nearly dropped the glasses he held. She had changed into her workout clothes and was balanced in a perfect backbend on the floor at the head of the bed.

"Well look at you," he said. He ran his hands over her stomach and she giggled. "If you do that," she said, "I'm going to fall over."

"We wouldn't want that," he said. Slowly she moved herself into a standing position. "What do you want me to do now?" She asked. He got on the bed so he could see her to the best advantage. "Jumping jacks," he said judiciously. "I'll tell you when to stop."

She began to jump, and the movement of her upper torso filled him with such pleasure that it took him awhile to tell her to stop. When he finally did, he decided to go out and get some air. "Are you all right?" She asked.

"Yes," he nodded. "I'll be back in a minute."

When he returned, She was dressed only in her underwear and dancing around to rock music on the radio. When she saw him, she grabbed the bedpost and began to shimmy. "Sorry it's not a pole," she said. "But it works, right?"

He nodded, grinning. "Oh, yes." He said.

Finally, he pulled her into bed with him again and she ducked under the covers, stroking him slowly, squeezing him gently up and down until he came and had to grip the sides of the mattress to keep from falling off the bed.

When it was all over, Selina peeked out from under the covers. "Was that good?" She asked.

" 'Good' would be a hollow descriptor for what that was," he said.

"So," she pushed herself up his torso until their lips were touching. "Is it your turn to play with me now?"

"I think we need a bath first," he said.

They headed into the bathroom. he went into the tub first, then watched her throw her bra aside. When she was left with only her panties, she looked at him. "Would you like to do the honors?" She asked. "I know how much you like it."

He grinned and slowly raised himself from his sitting position. He stood in the tub for a few minutes and stepped out of it, ordering her to get on her knees. He then lowered her to the floor and slowly removed her panties. Her tongue ran over her lips. "What now?" She asked.

He leaned his head forward and brought his tongue inside her. She giggled and her hips bucked upward. After a little while, she gave him her hand and they both got into the tub, washing each other off thoroughly. They then dried off and went back to bed, entertaining each other until the sun came up and they both fell asleep.

* * *

><p>When Selina opened her eyes, her cheek was resting against something cold. For a moment, she had no idea where she was, then realized she was lying on the tile floor of the bathroom, on her back, with her head against the toilet. She pushed herself up a little and realized that Klaus was gazing at her. From the position of his hand, he'd probably been stroking her too. She squealed a little and they both started.<p>

"What's the matter with you?" He asked, grinning. "Are you afraid of me? You look like I'm going to eat you or something."

"Well," she said, "I wake up and find you glaring at me like that, can you blame me for being a little startled." She pushed herself up a little. "Would you eat me?" She asked.

"I _do_ like how you taste," he said. He pulled her to him. She put a hand to her head as he began kissing her neck.

"God," she groaned. "I'm starting to sober up. "Why did you let me drink so much?"

He thought a moment. "Well," he said at last, "for one thing, you make an adorable drunk and for another, I _tried_ to take the wine bottles away from you after you'd had two or three, but you wouldn't let me."

"How did I end up in the bathroom?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. You must have gotten up to vomit in the middle of the night or early this morning and it just wore you out."

"Ah," she nodded. "That sounds about right."

"Poor little girl," he said. "Too bad you can't hold your alcohol as well as me."

She glared at him. "It's a shame that could very possibly be true. But I think I'll silently fume about you being chauvinistic anyway. Could you get me an aspirin?"

"Come on," He pulled her to him. "I read that orgasms cure headaches just as well."

She rolled her eyes. "Don't you ever get tired?"

"No," he grinned. "But if you are, I suppose we could take a rest."

She nodded. "What day is it?" She asked.

"Sunday, I think," he said.

She stood up. "After my head clears up, I need to run over to Enid's and pick up Adrian."

"What's the rush?" He asked her.

"He's been at the bar all weekend," she said. "We can't keep him there forever."

"Just one more day," he said. "This in the first time in who knows how long that we haven't had to worry about being interrupted."

"Maybe it's good to be interrupted every once in awhile," she said.

"Why?" He asked. "Because it makes it 'special'?"

"Yes," Selina nodded.

He rolled his eyes. "Fine," he said. "You go take your aspirin and go pick up Adrian. But you're going to regret it later, I promise."

"Oh, please." Selina rolled her eyes. "You're acting like we're never going to do it again. It's a complete exaggeration."

* * *

><p>Three years later, it wasn't so much. Adrian and Helene were getting older and even with both sets of parents splitting up duties concerning school and homework, everyone was always too tired to do anything but sleep at the end of the day. On a Friday afternoon, Selina brought Helene and Adrian back home and sat them down at the kitchen table. "So," she said, looking at them. "How were things at school today?"<p>

"Good," Helene said. "We had the math test."

"You did?" Selina asked. "How did it go? Did you grade it in class? Can I see it now?" They both handed her their papers. Each one had a big red 100% marking in the corner. "Perfect marks for both of you?" Selina looked up at them. "That's new." She looked over their papers again.

"Adrian," she said, looking at her son, "Are you sure this grade is accurate? Because last time I checked, six plus two was not eleven."

"He cheated off me," Helene said immediately. "I gave him the wrong answers on purpose. And then when he found out his answers were wrong, he compelled the teacher to give him full points."

Selina's eyes widened. "What?" She looked at Adrian. "Is this true?"

Adrian frowned at Helene. "You told me at lunch that if I gave you my cookies you wouldn't tell!"

Helene just smiled primly.

"Well I'm glad she did tell," Selina said severely. "How do you expect to learn anything if you compel your way through all your papers?"

"Daddy says-" Adrian began.

"Don't start a sentence with the words 'Daddy says' if you expect to get yourself out of trouble," Selina said. "It doesn't work."

"Do I have to go to my room now?" Adrian asked.

"No," Selina said. "That won't teach you anything. I have something else in mind." She smiled at them. "You two go up and play now. We'll talk about it later."

Helene grinned as Adrian led her upstairs. "That probably means that she's making you go to your Aunt Susan's to watch educational documentaries."

"Mommy," Adrian called, "Do I have to go to Aunt Susan's?"

"Yes," Selina called back. "We'll leave as soon as Helene's parents come and pick her up."

Adrian turned away from the stairwell and frowned at Helene. "You're prissy and stupid and I hate you."

"Well if you'd study instead of cheating off me this wouldn't happen," Helene said.

"I shouldn't have to study," Adrian replied. "I could kill the teacher if I wanted."

Helene sat on the bed. "I wonder what your mommy would do if you killed somebody? Probably lock you up in jail, I bet."

"Nuh-uh," Adrian shook his head. "I could get daddy to talk her out of it for me."

They sat in silence for a moment, then Helene jumped off the bed. "So," she said, "do you want to play tea party?"

* * *

><p>The next day, Astrid took Helene and Adrian to get their halloween costumes.<p>

"I want to be a witch," Helene said.

"You are one," Adrian said.

"But we don't dress like _this_." Helene pulled a silk and black tuelle dress with sparkles on the bodice off the rack. "I think it's pretty. And I can pretend like I'm at the party you and Daddy are going to on Halloween." She pouted at her mother. "Why can't I go?"

"Because you're too young," Astrid said. "We'll take you when you're older." She looked at Adrian. "So what do _you _want to be?"

"It'd be funny if he was a vampire," Helene giggled.

"I could be a werewolf too," Adrian said. "But that wouldn't be any fun." Then, a costume caught his eye, that of a gangster. "Wow, look at this!" He said. "It even comes with a gun!"

"It's a fake gun thank goodness," Astrid said, coming to look at it. "Then your mother won't kill me for buying it for you."

They were walking toward the cash register when something caught Adrian's eye. "Look at this," he said to Helene. He was talking about a dress that was blue with with a layered skirt and off the shoulder sleeves.

"Do you want to wear _that_ now?" Helene asked.

"No," Adrian shook his head. "I've seen pictures of Mommy dressed like this."

"Really?" Helene asked.

"That doesn't surprise me," Astrid said. "Around the time she became a vampire, this was how women dressed." She fingered the sleeve of the gown.

Adrian gave the dress one last look and then they paid for their purchases and left the store.

* * *

><p>A week later, it was Halloween. Klaus and Adrian let Selina sleep in because it was her birthday and then they brought her breakfast in bed. "This is nice you two," She said. Adrian plunked a bag down in her lap. "This is a present," he said.<p>

Selina gasped. "What kind of present?"

"You'll see," Klaus said.

Selina opened it. It was a necklace, a blue stone on a silver chain. "This looks a lot like the Hope diamond," she said. "It isn't, is it?"

"No," Klaus shook his head. "It's a sapphire, actually. I thought it would look good with your eyes." He put it around her neck. "Thanks," she said. "It's beautiful." She lay back on the pillows. "This is going great. It's my birthday, we have that party tonight that's going to be fun, nothing could go wrong."

Just then, the phone rang. Adrian went to get it and came back holding it out.

"Who is it?" Selina asked.

"Grandma," Adrian said. "She wants to talk to you."

Selina rolled her eyes. "God, what does_ she _want?" She took the phone and listened to what Elissavetta had to say. Apparently, Susan was having a Halloween party where all the guests had to come as literary characters. Yes it was compulsory that they attended. No, she didn't care if it was Selina's birthday. This was more important. She'd see them at seven and they better not be late.

As she hung up the phone, Selina whimpered. "There goes my good day."

"I know what costume you could wear to Aunt Susan's party," Adrian said. He ran to his room and brought out the old photograph of Selina that he'd taken from the attic. "You could dress like this."

"I suppose," Selina sighed. "I could always say I'm Scarlett O'Hara. Just like I used to do at _all _the Halloween parties."

She got out of bed and went to the closet where all her old 1860s dresses were stored.

"Wear a blue one," Adrian said. He'd followed her.

"All right," She nodded. "I'll have to get Astrid to come over and help me get into it, though. Dressing used to be very complicated for me. Thank God for casual wear."

* * *

><p>That night, Selina and Astrid dressed at Astrid and Alistair's and then went back to meet Klaus. "Well," Selina said. "Here I am as I was." He turned. He was wearing a tux with silver cufflinks. "Beautiful. The necklace looks great with it, although you would have been better as angel." Selina grinned. "I know, you've told me before. The reason why you like me is cause I'm an angel with a crooked halo." He grinned. "Could you help me with my tie?" He asked. "I never could get the hold of bowties."<p>

"All right," Selina nodded. "Who are you supposed to be? Jeeves?"

He shook his head. "No." He whipped a pistol out of his pocket. "I'm Bond. James Bond."

Selina had to laugh. "And Adrian's a gangster. What is it with you two and needing guns with your costumes?"

"Well," he said, "What kind of spy would I be if I didn't have a gun?"

She shrugged. "A peaceful one?"

He burst out laughing. "Shut your eyes," he said. "I have something to show you."

After a moment, she closed her eyes and let him lead her out of the house and onto the driveway where a very special car sat. Selina opened her eyes. Before her, the setting sun illuminating it, was a black Aston Martin. "You got the _car_ too? But it's so tiny. I'm not going to fit."

"Oh, yes you will." He nodded. He opened the door and sure enough, she fit. "I had Alistair do some adjustments to it," he said.

She grinned. "Well you've just thought of everything, haven't you?"

* * *

><p>As Adrian watched his parents drive away, Helene came up behind him. "Pete says dinner's going to be soon," she told him. "All right," Adrian told her. "Thank you, you can leave now."<p>

"All right," she said. "But then I couldn't tell you the secret that I know."

"What secret?" Adrian asked. "Tell me, tell me, tell me!"

"All right," Helene said. "The necklace your daddy bought your mommy is magical. When the moon hits it, something's going to happen. Just like it always does on Halloween."

"Will she be hurt?" Adrian asked.

Helene shrugged. "I don't know. I just know something's going to happen."

"How?" Adrian asked.

"I heard our daddies talking about it," Helene said.

* * *

><p>As Klaus and Selina pulled into Elijah's driveway, the moon glinted off Selina's necklace and she fainted. Feeling himself begin to panic, Klaus carried her inside. Susan told him to put her in one of the bedrooms upstairs. When he'd gotten her settled down, she opened her eyes again. "Are you all right?" He asked her. "Susan thinks you're running out of air. Can you breathe?"<p>

Selina looked up at him and blinked. "Who are you?" She asked. She looked around. "And what is this place?"


	16. The Maiden

Klaus stared at her. "What?" He asked. "Darling, are you all right?" He reached out for her but she shook her head. "Who are you?" She asked. "And why do you address me in such a familar manner when we've never even met? It isn't proper. Unless..." She sat up and looked around. "A bedroom," she said. "Did you bring me up here intending to rob me of my virtue? What is it that you want?" Panic was rising up in her voice. "My parents are very wealthy. They'll give you whatever you want. Just please don't hurt me!"  
>Klaus was at a loss for what to say. He had no idea what to tell her. He sighed. He'd laughed at first when Alistair had told him that there was something sinister about that necklace he'd bought her. But now it seemed like he'd been telling the truth.<br>"I won't hurt you," he told her. "You and I are married."  
>She looked at him. "We are?" She asked. "Then why aren't I wearing a ring?" She showed him her empty hand.<br>"You don't like to wear your ring," he said. "It came from my mother and the two of you don't get along."  
>Selina was still looking at him suspiciously. "You lie," she said. "I'd like to go home now, please."<p>

Klaus stepped back, his hands up. "All right. I'll take you home. But what's going on between us, it isn't what you think." He tried to wrack his brain for a reasonable excuse that would make her stay.

"What's going on?" She asked. "Tell me."

"You're a governess," he said. "You watch my son."

"I do?" She asked. Her expression lightened from one of suspicion to one of confusion. "Is there anyone here who can confirm your story? Because my mother told me that I should never go home with strange men."

Klaus put his hands on his hips. "But I'm not-" He rolled his eyes. "All right," he said. "Stay here a moment. I'll get you what you want." He left the bedroom, shutting the door behind him. As he headed toward the room where the party was being held, Susan came upon him. "What's going on?" She asked. "Will Selina be all right?"

Klaus shrugged. "I don't know. She's acting strange. "Where's Elijah?"

"Outside with your mother," Susan said. "Would you like me to get him for you?"

"Yes," Klaus nodded. "And hurry. It's very important."

A few minutes later, Susan reappeared, pushing Elijah ahead of her. "He needs to talk to you," She said, stopping him in front of Klaus.

"What's happened?" Elijah asked. "Has Selina gotten worse?"

"Yes," Klaus nodded. "She has no idea who I am, or any idea about...anything."

"So she has amnesia?" Elijah frowned. "How do you suppose that happened?"

"Well," Klaus looked away for a second. "I got her a present for her birthday and when I showed it to Alistair, he told me that it was something that was cursed. Something like that."

"So you think the present made her sick?" Elijah said. "Let me have a look at it."

"Oh," Klaus said as they headed toward the bedroom. "When we get there, tell her that she knows me and we're married."

Elijah turned. "Let me guess: she doesn't remember that either?"

"No," Klaus shook his head. "When she opened her eyes, the first thing she did was accuse me of bringing her up to the bedroom to 'rob her of her virtue'."

"Oh," Elijah nodded and turned. "Are you sure her memory's really gone after all? It sounds right on track to me."

Klaus rolled his eyes. "Ha ha ha. You're not being very helpful."

They reached the bedroom where Selina was now perched at the end of the bed, looking like a deer about to bolt. "Who is this?" She asked, looking at Elijah.

"This is my brother," Klaus said. "He can tell you that I'm telling you the truth."

Selina looked at Elijah almost pleadingly. "Are we married?" She asked. "Your brother and I, I mean? Or am I his governess?"

"Actually," Elijah said, "You're the governess for his young son."

"See?" Klaus told her. "I wouldn't lie to you."

"Am I?" Selina asked. "I suppose that sounds plausible. But then what am I doing with you in this bedroom?" She asked, looking at Klaus.

"You took ill, Miss Warren," he said. "You fainted as we arrived at the house. I brought you to the bedroom to rest until you'd recovered yourself."

"Oh, dear," Selina said. "If it was just a faint, you didn't need to go to all that trouble. Surely I've fainted other times before." She looked down at her dress. "Clothing like this isn't meant for breathing."

Just then, there was a rapid, insistent knocking on the bedroom door. "Who is it?" Klaus called.

"It's your mother," the voice called from the other side. "Open this door!"

Elijah went and opened the door and Elissavetta strode inside, taking a seat on Selina's other side. "Susan told me you had an upset in the car, dear. Are you unwell?"

Selina shook her head. "I feel perfect, thank you," she said.

"Why would she faint in that way?" Elissavetta asked. Then, her eyes lit up. "Could this be a sign of something..."

"Something what?" Klaus asked. "I'm not a mind reader, Mother."

"Could Selina finally be expecting again?" Elissavetta asked. "Because I have to say it's about time!"

"Excuse me," Selina said quietly, looking at her. "Who are you?"

"Selina," Elijah said quietly, "This is our mother. Do you remember that?"

Selina shook her head. "No. No I don't. What is she talking about? I'm not expecting any child with anyone, nor have I ever! Please, just take me home now."

"All right," Klaus nodded, holding out his hand to her. "We'll take you home." He led her out to the car and drove her back to their house, but she refused to get out of the car. "No," she said, frowning up at the house. "This is wrong. This isn't my home."

"Yes it is," Klaus said. "I promise."

Selina sighed. "Of course," she said. "I don't know where else I'd go, so this is as good a place as any."

They went inside and found Pete in one of the living rooms with Helene and Adrian watching a movie. "You're back early," he said. "Was the party no good?"

Klaus sighed. "In a perfect world, I'd leave _all _of Susan's parties that early, but we're here now because something's happened."

Adrian turned and got up. "Hi, Mommy!" He said, throwing his arms around her. She started and gently detached him. "Could you tell me your name again?" She asked. "It seems I've forgottten."

"Adrian," Adrian said. "Are you sick, Mommy?"

"Come into the kitchen with me," Klaus said to Adrian. They went into the kitchen and closed the door. "What's wrong with Mommy?" Adrian asked. "She doesn't know me."

Klaus sighed. "She doesn't know me either. She doesn't know much of anything right now, and I don't know how to make her memory come back, so until we get that figured out, pretend she's your nanny instead of your mother, all right? Because that's what Uncle Elijah and I told her she was, and I don't think she believes that entirely either."

"All right," Adrian nodded. They left the kitchen and Adrian took Selina by the hand and led her to his room. "This is _my_ room," he said.

"Ah," Selina looked around and breathed in serenely. "Where I'll be staying. Very nice."

"Thank you," Adrian said. "I have to go downstairs and get something and I'll bring some up for you, too."

Before she could say anything, he disappeared. When he came back, he was holding two large glasses of red liquid. He kept one and gave her the other. He gulped half of it down and came up for air.

"You shouldn't drink so fast," Selina said. "It'll upset your stomach."

"You try it," Adrian said insistently. Selina did, and wound up coughing and spitting the contents all over the room. "Good heavens!" She exclaimed. "This is _blood!"_

_"_Of course it is," Adrian nodded. "I thought feeding again would make you feel better."

Selina felt ill. "What would make you think that I drink blood?" She asked. "I shall have a talk with your father about this because that's not normal thinking for a little boy."

Adrian drank down the rest of what was in his glass and what was in hers too and then took the glasses downstairs and stuck them in the sink. "We have another problem," he told Klaus. "I gave her the blood and she spit it up. I don't think she drinks it anymore."

"She has to," Klaus said. "Otherwise she'll kill people and we know how _that _makes her feel."

Selina entered the kitchen and poured herself a glass of milk. "This is what _I _like to drink," she said. Her stomach grumbled. She gave them a look. "Where are your servants to bring me something to eat?" She asked. "I feel a little peckish."

"We don't have any," Adrian said. "Well, except for Alistair and Astrid, but as you say, they're more prison wardens then servants. They're at a party of their own."

Just then, Helene came into the kitchen looking for candy.

"Little girl," Selina said to her, "I would like you to bring me some toast."

Helene turned. "What?"

"I would like some toast," Selina repeated. "Are you dim?"

Helene grabbed a handful of hard candy and headed out of the kitchen after giving Adrian a look. "I think your mommy's gone crazy," she whispered.

"I think you should fire that girl," Selina said judiciously. "She seems impudent."

"You have no idea," Adrian said. "The hours she's forced me to play tea party with her alone are bad enough."

Selina looked out the window at the darkness that was falling. "I think we should get you to bed," she told Adrian. "We can't have you falling asleep in school tomorrow, now can we?"

"Wait!" Adrian cried, resisting her efforts to pull him with her. "Don't you want your cake?"

"Cake?" She paused. "Why would we have cake?" She narrowed her eyes at him. "Is this an attempt to have sweets before bedtime?"

"No," Adrian shook his head. "It's your birthday. Don't you want cake?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "If I let myself go, I'll lose any chance I have of finding a husband. Now, to bed with you."

Adrian looked pained as Selina led him back to his room and tucked him into bed. Then she shut off the lights and went to the bathroom to put on her nightdress. She hoped Adrian would be asleep by the time she returned, but he was still wide awake, and watched with interest as she carefully untucked her covers and got into bed. "Why are you doing that?" He asked.

"Because governesses always sleep with the children," she said.

"I don't need you to," Adrian said quickly. "I'm not even afraid of the dark anymore."

"That doesn't matter," Selina said. "Where else would I sleep if not here?"

"In you and Daddy's room," Adrian said, forgetting that he wasn't supposed to think of her as his mother.

"I couldn't do that," Selina said. "An unattached girl like me sleeping in the same bed as a bachelor like your father! What would people think?"

"I don't know," Adrian said.

"Well whatever it would be," Selina told him, "it wouldn't be good."

"How come you didn't drink the blood?" Adrian asked.

"Because I don't," Selina said. "_Normal people_ don't."

"But you're not normal people," Adrian said. "You're a vampire! You need blood!"

"Oh, don't be ridiculous," Selina said. "If you talk that way, you'll only give yourself nightmares."

She shut the door. "Now how do we make it dark?" She asked.

"Flip the little switch by the door," Adrian said.

She did and screamed as the room was plunged into darkness.

A moment later, the door opened and light blossomed in the room again. "What happened in here?" Klaus asked.

"Nanny was scared by the light switch," Adrian said.

"Oh," Klaus nodded. He was breathing hard. He tried to calm himself. "Are you coming to bed?" He asked Selina.

"She says she can't," Adrian told him. "That people would say things so she has to stay in here with me."

"Oh, right," Klaus nodded and went back to bed. He wasn't happy. He'd _really_ been looking forward to making love to her when she was wearing nothing but that necklace.

* * *

><p>When she was sure Adrian was asleep, Selina quietly got out of bed, snuck downstairs and made her way out of the house and down the streets, looking frantically for something familar to her. After what seemed like hours, she finally reached the house she'd been looking for. She knocked. The door opened a few minutes later, and the woman on the other side screamed. "What are you doing here?" She asked.<p>

Selina wiped the tears out of her eyes. "Hello, Mother," she said shakily. "May I come in?"


	17. Dazed and Confused

Klaus was lying awake, staring at the empty space next to him in bed when suddenly, he heard the door open. He sat up. "Who is it?" He called. He swallowed when he saw who it was. "You're back," he said to her. "I didn't think you'd come. You seemed pretty adament about staying with Adrian." Selina stared at him from the foot of the bed. "I know," she said. "But in spite of how hard I've tried to avoid it, I really feel attracted to you."

He grinned. "You should," he said. "As I've told you several times before, we're married. It's okay for you to be in here."

She nodded. "I suppose as long as you don't tell anyone about us, I could spend my nights in here. Adrian seems old enough not to need me at all hours anymore."

"Exactly," Klaus nodded, wondering where she was going with this. She stared at him for a few minutes, then slowly pulled her nightgown over her head, standing naked before him. "Is there enough room for me in there?" She asked.

"Why, yes." He nodded and she came around, climbing in next to him. He kissed her and she put her arms around him and kissed him back. The kiss deepened and they soon came together again, devouring one another, covering each other with bite marks and scratches, neither being gentle with the other. Klaus closed his eyes and let his hands roam over her body, his mouth over her lips. Then, oddly, she began to feel different. Colder, stiffer, not as responsive. He opened his eyes, swearing when he realized that they were no longer in bed, but were making love at the bottom of an open grave. Selina, cold and stiff, her gaze still, was now a corpse. He stared at her for a few minutes, his breath quickening. He rolled away from her, then everything shifted. He sat up in bed, screaming, his body covered in a film of sweat. It had only been a dream. A horribly vivid dream.

He got out of bed and went into the bathroom, splashing water onto his face and looking at himself in the mirror. A knock on his bedroom door made him start. He left the bathroom and put some pants on. "Just a minute," he called, hoping that it wasn't who he thought it was and that it was _her _coming to her senses instead. He opened the door and was disappointed. "What's the matter?" He asked. "Did you have a bad dream? Just think happy thoughts and go back to bed."

"No," Adrian shook his head, his eyes wide. "Mommy's missing. We have to go look for her!"

"What?" Klaus asked. "You aren't lying to me, are you Adrian? Because this isn't something you should joke about."

"No, I'm not!" Adrian said, looking affronted and standing on his toes to make himself appear taller. "I'm telling the truth!"

"All right," Klaus said. "We'll go look for her."

"We should go get Alistair," Adrian said. He scampered away to get dressed. Then they got in the car and went to explain to Alistair what happened.

* * *

><p>"Do you think Mommy got kidnapped?" Adrian asked.<p>

"Why are you so interested in this?" Klaus asked.

"Cause she's my _Mommy_," Adrian said. "Where did she go?"

"I don't know," Klaus said. "If I did, we wouldn't be driving haphazardly around the city in the middle of the night now would we?"

"Why don't you just let me _tell _you where she is?" Alistair asked. "This would go a lot quicker if you did."

"She didn't drink any blood," Adrian chirped. "I gave her some and she said it was yucky and spit it out."

"So she didn't feed yesterday," Klaus said. "That's a help."

"Why would she say blood is yucky if she needs it?" Adrian asked.

"I don't know," Klaus said.

"I do," Alistair said. "And this is exactly why I told you that you shouldn't give her that necklace."

"What does _that_ have to do with anything?" Klaus snapped.

"The woman at the jewelry store where you bought it? That was Hazel in disguise."

"What?" Klaus asked. "You can't be serious." He paused. "Well that _would_ explain why she was so insistent that I buy that particular necklace. Does it have a spell on it? What's going on with her?"

Alistair sighed. "When the full moon touches it, the wearer is transformed into whatever it is they were dressed as. And what was Selina?"

"She was wearing one of her dresses from before she was a vampire," Adrian said.

"Exactly," Alistair said. "The last time she wore that dress was in the 1860s probably. So the magic in the necklace turned her to herself in the 1860s. You're seeing what your mother was like before she became a vampire."

"She seems like a real piece of work," Klaus said.

"Well," Alistair nodded. "Rich girl on a plantation with slaves, what do you expect?"

"So that's why she didn't drink the blood," Adrian said. "Because she's not a vampire."

Klaus gripped Alistair's arm tightly. "That means she's not a werewolf either. She's human, is that what you're saying? That the necklace made her human?"

"Yes," Alistair nodded. "That should help narrow down her location. There can only be so many places that a human Selina would go."

* * *

><p>"What are you doing here?" Amelia asked when she and Selina were seated at the kitchen table. "When you left here seven years ago, you told me that you'd never come back."<p>

"Well," Selina leaned forward. "Whatever I did, it was rash. I should never have left home. I'm going to stay here until I marry. There are a lot of untrustworthy men in the world."

"Well you don't have to worry, remember?" Amelia asked. "It's always been you and Damon. I'm sure he'll be glad to know that you're all right."

Just then, a sound on the stairs made Selina start. "Who is it, Amelia?" Asked a sleepy voice from the top of the stairs. "Who would come calling at three in the morning?" He continued the rest of the way down the stairs and came to stand in front of them, yawning.

When Selina saw who it was, she began screaming. Her father's eyes widened. "Selina Amelia, what is the matter with you?"

"What are you?" She asked, her voice shaky.

"You know me," He said, looking more awake and confused. "I'm your father!"

"No, you're not!" Selina shook her head. "My father died when I was a baby. You can't be him!"

"I _am_!" Matthew Warren said insistently, his green eyes wide. "I didn't exactly die when you were a baby. The nurse at the hospital I was at was a vampire and she changed me, but by the time I was stable enough to be out among the human population, the army had already told your mother I was dead, so Doctor Stensrund thought it best for me not to come home."

Selina's eyes narrowed. "You're a _vampire?"_ Selina asked.

"Yes," Matthew nodded. "And so are you and so is your mother. What in the world is wrong with you?"

"Nothing," Selina said icily. "Nothing is wrong with me. It's you who are the abominations. Both of you."

As her parents looked on in shock, Selina grabbed an umbrella from beside the coat stand next to the door and whacked her father over the head with it. He fell to the floor.

"What did you do that for?" Amelia asked.

"He would have hurt me," Selina replied matter-of-factly. She surveyed her mother. "Now," she said, "Are you going to come down to the sheriff's with me peaceably, or am I going to have to knock you out too?"

"What are you talking about?" Her mother asked. "Something's wrong with you. Why don't you just go to bed, get a good night's rest, and we'll talk about what's bothering you in the morning?"

Selina just shook her head and knocked Amelia out too. Then she dragged both their bodies to the master bedroom and locked them in. She sighed. "I have to go now," she said. "There are more of them about, probably. Giuseppe will know what to do about them."

She left her parents' house and walked to the Salvatore estate. Somethng was wrong, though. It was gone. What had once been a magnificent mansion was now just a few bricks and a foundation. She turned from the remains of the place she'd once called home and bit her lip. Where would she go now? Damon and Stefan had to be somewhere.

She strolled out of the woods and began walking around. When she was so tired she thought she wouldn't be able to walk anymore, she spotted a boardinghouse just ahead. It looked deserted, but she thought she'd knock anyway and ask the inkeeper if they had any rooms available for that night. She hoped also that they allowed entrance to unaccompanied females. Not a lot of boardinghouses and hotels did.

She made her way across the street and through the mist to the front steps of the boardinghouse. She knocked three times. "Hello!" She called. "I know it's late, but do you have any rooms available for the night?"

Eventually, the door opened."Stefan?" Selina asked in surprise when she saw him. "What are _you _doing here? What aren't you at home?"

Stefan frowned. "This _is _home, in a manner of speaking," he said. "Where else do you think we would be?"

"Can I come in?" She asked.

He nodded. When she was seated, he grinned at her. "We never thought we'd see you again."

Selina cleared her throat. "What I came to talk to you about is serious. Where is your father?"

Stefan's eyebrows knitted. "Father's been dead for several years. What's the matter?"

"Well," Selina said, lowering her voice, "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it seems your father was right when he said this town was infested with vampires. They've even gotten their fangs into my parents! I need your father and some of the other men to help me take them to sheriff Forbes so they can be restrained and put away."

"Are you all right?" Stefan asked her. "What's the matter with you?"

"Nothing," Selina shook her head. "Why do people keep asking me that?"

"What's going on, Stefan?" Margaret called. "Who was at the door?"

"It's Selina," Stefan called back. "And something's wrong with her."

Margaret came down the stairs and Elena followed. Selina saw them both and stiffened. "What are _you _doing here?" She asked.

"Damon and I are together now," Margaret said. "It happened when you decided that you wanted to leave and be with Klaus."

"Oh," Selina turned her gaze to Elena. "So I suppose the two of you are having a good time sharing him?" She smirked at Elena. "I never figured you to be one to share. You're mainly just a taker, aren't you? You take and take and never give anything back."

Margaret and Elena looked at one another. "We need to get Damon," Elena said immediately. "He can get her out of this."

They went upstairs to rouse him and he came down looking somewhat ill-tempered. "Oh," he said, looking at her. "What do you want?"

Selina stood up and walked over to him, putting her arms around him. "What do you think I want?" She asked.

He pushed her away. "What do you think you're doing?" He asked.

"What do you mean?" She asked. "You and I are together, remember? You proposed to me before you left for the war!"

"I know," Damon nodded. "But that was years ago. We've both moved on. I'm with Margaret now."

Selina stared at him in silence for a moment, then she lashed out, slapping Damon hard. He put his hand to his cheek and bared his teeth, hissing.

Selina froze. "You're one too," she said quietly. "That means I have to kill you."

But before she could hit him again, he pinned her. "Elena," he said, "You and Stefan hold her down. Something's wrong with her and we need to figure out what it is."  
>"Why does everyone think there's something wrong with me?" Selina struggled against Stefan and Elena's grips.<p>

Damon stood in front of her with a knife, slashed his wrist and let the blood dribble into her mouth. She spat and gagged, her entire body shuddering. "Why does everyone keep giving me blood?" She cried.

"Because you're a vampire too," Damon said.

Selina shook her head. "No, I'm not! I'd never become a monster like you, like everyone in this town has apparently."

"You already have," Damon said. "You got sick, remember? Doctor Stensrund turned you to save your life."

"You lie," Selina said. "I'm human. I promise you I'm human!"

Damon grabbed her by the shoulders. "We can change that soon enough," he said.


	18. Something There

"No," Selina slowly backed away. "No, you can't!" She struggled in his grip. "Let me go!"  
>"I think it's for the best," he said.<br>"How can you say that?" She frowned. "You may not love me now, but I _do_ know you loved me once. How can you turn someone you _loved_ into a monster?" She was breathing hard now. She had to think of _something_ that would make him let her go. Her head turned. She looked at Stefan, who was sitting on the sofa looking at her with worried eyes. "Stefan," she pleaded, "tell your brother not to do this."  
>Stefan sighed. "Let her go, Damon." He said. "Something's wrong with her, so let's just put her to bed and we'll get to the bottom of whatever it is in the morning."<br>Damon let her go, pushing her into Margaret's arms. "Take her," he told her.  
>"All right," Margaret said. She took Selina's hand and Elena walked on her other side. "Come with us," she said. "Everything's going to be all right."<br>But Selina didn't sleep that night. Instead, she lay awake, watching the door, waiting for Damon to come into the room and suck the life out of her as she lay in bed. He didn't come, though. Finally, she sat up. Margaret had left the windows open. The stars were beautiful. Selina had the strangest urge to go outside and get a better look at them.  
>She stared at Marget and Elena, who were both sound asleep. Then, she got out of bed, her feet dropping softly to the floor, and she snuck out of the house and into the front yard, where she lay on the grass, staring up at the sky.<br>Suddenly, she gasped as a small face hovered over her. "Hi, Nanny!" Adrian whispered. "Are you coming home with us?"

She sat up. "What are _you_ doing here?" She asked him. "It's late; you should be in bed."

"We've been looking for you _everywhere_," Adrian told her. "Why did you leave? Do you not like us anymore?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "I like you plenty. I just want to find out who I am, I thought coming here would help."

"Did it?" Adrian asked.

"No," Selina said, standing up. "In fact, it just made everything more confused. Nothing is as I remember it."

"I'm sorry," Adrian said, taking her hand and leading her back to the car. "You'll figure it out, though." He knocked on the car window. "I got her, Daddy." he said.

Klaus stepped out of the car and came around to face her. "You scared Adrian half to death, you know," he said furiously. "_Never_ leave the house in the middle of the night again, do you understand me?"

"You didn't scare me," Adrian said. He looked at his father. "You made Daddy plenty scared, though."

Klaus gritted his teeth. "She did not."

"Oh, she did too." Alistair said. "Don't try to deny it." He came to stand next to Adrian.

"Didn't I tell you to wait in the car?" Klaus snapped at him.

"All right," Alistair said. "I'm going."

As soon as they were seated in the car with Klaus and Alistair in the front seats and Adrian and Selina in the back, Adrian fell asleep with his head in Selina's lap. They drove home in silence and when they pulled into the driveway, Klaus took Adrian in his arms while Selina got out of the car and then they both went up to put Adrian to bed.

"I'll just call Astrid and tell her that I'm going to stay here tonight," Alistair called after them. "I think it might be best."

"All right," Klaus said.

After Klaus set Adrian down on the bed, Selina pulled his covers over him. "Just out of curiosity," she asked, "Why was he out with you this late at night?"

"Because if I would have just left him here, he would have been by himself," Klaus said. "We picked up Alistair later. I figured you would frown on me leaving a little boy like him home alone, so I brought him along."

"Oh," Selina nodded, tucking the end of Adrian's blankets tightly under his chin. "That sounds sensible. Good job." She smiled at him. "Good night, sir," she said.

He nodded, feeling a lightness in his chest. "Good night, Miss Warren." Then, feeling deflated, he went to bed, alone again.

* * *

><p>Two days later, Klaus decided he couldn't be in the house anymore and went over to Elijah's instead. "Well, this is a surprise, brother," Elijah said when he opened the door. "What brings you here?"<p>

"How well would you say you understand women?" Klaus asked him.

"Why do you ask?" Elijah took a sip from his drink and stared at Klaus speculatively. "Has Selina's memory returned yet? Or has she gotten worse?"

"Neither," Klaus said. "She just stays the same. Day in and day out. She spends more time with Adrian than she does with me, and that's not really fair is it? I mean, I saw her first."

"There's your problem," Elijah said. "You're acting like she's still the woman you married and is avoiding you on purpose when in actuality, she genuinely has no idea that the two of you were ever married and is instead playing her supposed role as Adrian's governess to perfection."

"So how do I make it _better?_" Klaus asked him. "I can't go on like this forever. I just can't."

"There's a way to fix it," Elijah said. "You know there is."

Suddenly it hit him. "You're right," Klaus said. "I don't know _why_ I didn't think of it sooner. I bet I can get her memory back very fast. One week tops."

Elijah stared at him. That soon? Impossible!"

Klaus shook his head. "It really isn't. It's the perfect plan.

Elijah sighed. "I suppose if you think you've got everything under control. Good luck, brother. Would you care for a drink before you go?"

Klaus paused a moment. "Maybe just one," he said.

* * *

><p>He got back to the house and didn't see anyone right away. Then, he heard music and he followed it to one of the rooms that he'd never seen before. He figured was the music room. It was full of chairs and one large piano as if the last person who had been in there had staged a concert and then no one had bothered to clean up afterward. Selina sat at the three-legged stool playing "Pastoral Symphony." She seemed lost in it and when he knocked on the doorframe, she started. "I'm sorry," she said. "Was I playing too loud? Sometimes I get enthusiastic and you can hear me all through the house."<p>

"Oh, no." Klaus said quickly. "It was beautiful. I had no idea you could play the piano."

She blushed slightly. "I can just a little," she said. "Mother made certain of that." She stood up. "Can I do something for you?"

"Yes," he nodded. He stared deeply into her eyes. He felt a thrill. He'd never been able to control her so completely before. But then again, as long as he'd known her, she'd never been human. "Come see me tonight," he said. "After Adrian falls asleep. Tonight and every night. I'll leave the door open for you." He kissed her softly, sat her back down on the three-legged stool, and left as she started playing the piano again.

* * *

><p>That night, he did as he promised her and waited eagerly for her to keep up her part. Not that she had any choice in the matter, but he wasn't sure how she would take to compulsion. He knew that even as a human she'd been quite strong-willed. But sure enough, about ten minutes after he turned off the lights, the bedroom door opened the rest of the way and she walked inside. "I'm here," she said softly. Her gaze was empty. "What do you want me to do?"<p>

He grinned. "Let me show you," he said, coming to meet her and puling her nightgown off of her. He began by planting soft kisses down her neck and then picked her up and carried her to bed, where he put her on the mattress and then climbed beside her, kissing her deeply and running his hands over her breasts. She moaned. He spent the rest of the night making love to her, but when she left in the morning, instead of feeling satisfied, he felt empty, even though he'd gotten exactly what he wanted.

Thinking those feelings had just been a fluke, he tried again the next night, but things still felt the same. And again after a third night. After he dropped Adrian off at school, he went to Elijah's again. To his surprise, Alistair was already there.

"What are you doing here?" Klaus asked him.

"I'm concerned about you," Alistair said. "Are you all right?"

"Yes," Klaus nodded. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Possibly because that plan of yours isn't going as well as you hoped it would?" Elijah asked. "Just what _was _your plan? I highly doubt we were thinking of the same thing when you left here."

"Well what was your idea?" Klaus asked him.

"I was going to suggest that you court her formally and win her affections that way," Elijah said. "Just what was your plan?"

"Well," Klaus said, "she's human now, so I simply-"

"He compelled her to spend the night with him," Alistair broke in. "That was his plan."

"What?" Elijah asked. "What made you think_ that_ would get you anywhere?"

"It got her into my bed," Klaus said. "But you'll be pleased to know that it failed miserably in every other way."

"Why?" Alistair asked. "Have you failed to perform?"

Klaus snorted. "Oh, I performed very well, thank you. That's not the problem. The problem is afterward. Once she's gone, I feel so empty. It all feels so inadequate."

Alistair and Elijah looked at one another and sighed. "Once again, this shocks him," Alistair said. "How many times do you think we'll have to explain his relationship with Selina to him before he gets it through that thick skull of his?"

"We will explain it until it sticks," Elijah said firmly.

"Explain what?" Klaus asked.

"The two of you have a relationship," Alistair said. He pulled a small dictionary from the backpack that sat next to his chair and leafed through it until he came to the right page. "The dictionary defines your type of relationship as 'the mutual connections, dealings or feelings that exist between two people, paries, countries, etc." He shut the dictionary and put it away. "The key word here is _mutual_. The reason why you're not happy about the sex you have with compelled Selina is because you know it's better when it's mutual. And now it's not. Now she's just a being that fulfills all your sexual desires. Admit it though: You like fulfilling hers as much as you like her fulfilling yours."

"I suppose," Klaus said. "Could we please talk about something other than my sex life?"

"No," Elijah shook his head. "You've made mistakes; you've complained to us about them. And now we're going to do whatever we can to help you fix them."

"All right," Klaus nodded. "Then stop telling me everything that's obvious and tell me what I can do to make things better."

"First," Alistair said, "take the compulsion off her. Then, do something for her. Something that shows you pay attention to the things she likes. Do something that will make her warm up to you."

"Like what?" Klaus asked.

"Well," Elijah said, "You mentioned that she's been spending a lot of time with Adrian, mothering him. Why don't you ask her to teach you something."

"You know," Alistair said, "I've been looking around your house and it has a _wonderful _library. Maybe if you picked out a book, the two of you could read together or something."

"Read a _book?"_ Klaus asked. "That's the best you can come up with? But that's so _boring_!" He glared at Alistair and then looked at Elijah. "That's something he and Susan would do."

"Just try it," Alistair said. "Tomorrow, as soon as Adrian goes to school. You'll thank me."

Klaus stood up and rolled his eyes. "Why do I ever tell you two anything?"

Elijah smirked. "I don't know," he said. "Why do you?"

* * *

><p>That night, Klaus removed the compulsion from Selina and then sent her back to bed. He slept much better that night. Then, once Adrian was out of the way the next day he went to Selina's bedroom and knocked on the door. "Come in," she called after a minute.<p>

He opened the door and found her sitting at her dressing table. "I hope I'm not disturbing you," he said.

"No, sir," Selina shook her head. "Of course not. Did you need something?"

"I would like to show you something," he said. She stood up. "What is it?"

"It seems we have a nice library here," he said. "And I figured that if you liked reading, that might be to your liking."

She nodded. "I do," she said. "Do you read much, sir?"

"No, Miss Warren, I don't." He paused. "But I was thinking of starting," he said. "If you'd be willing to assist me. I wouldn't know what books are good and what books aren't."

"Of course," she grinned. "I'd be delighted." She looked out the window. "It's a lovely day out. Let's read under the trees. I have the perfect book for us. And if you don't mind, I'll make some lemonade and cookies too." She grinned.

"Of course," he said. "I'll be waiting for you."

He left and she went to stand in front of her mirror, deciding she needed to change her dress. Something brighter, she decided. Not so severe. Pink, perhaps. And maybe, a lower neckline than usual wouldn't hurt either.

* * *

><p>Klaus was sitting under the biggest tree in the yard waiting for her. When he saw her coming toward him, bathed in sunlight, he shaded his eyes to get a better view and was amazed by what he saw. She was dressed much differently than she'd been since her accident. Before, it had seemed like she'd been dressing to keep him away, but now she semed so much brighter, more eager, and more willing. He stood up and went to meet her. "What can I take?" He asked. She held out the cookies. "Hold these," she said. "I'm going to need to make a few more trips back into the house."<p>

"Or I could get whatever it is you need," he said.

"Thank you," she said. "I left the lemonade in the kitchen. It should be cold enough by now. I'll get the book and the table to put the treats on."

Working together, they got everything set up. The lemonade and cookies say on a table on a particularly flat section of ground near the tree. Once Klaus and Selina were comfortably seated, she pulled the book out and showed it to him. "I was going to start this with Adrian," she said. "But I think you'll like it too."

He took it from her and read the title. "_Tom Sawyer_?"

"Yes," Selina nodded. "It's a classic novel about a little boy who's really a piece of work that constantly gets in trouble but is able to charm his way out of it. In one of the most famous parts, his Aunt Polly tells him he has to whitewash a fence. He doesn't want to do it so he manipulates the neighborhood children into doing it for him _and_ gets several trinkets in the bargin!" She shook her head. "Disgraceful behavior, isn't it?"

Klaus nodded. "Oh, of course," he said. "Disgraceful."

They began reading, and as the they made it through the book, Klaus felt something. He looked down. Her hand was resting on top of his. He looked at her. She just grinned at him, urging him to continue. Well, he thought to himself, maybe Alistair knew what he was talking about after all.


	19. Manipulation and Sympathy

They kept reading and when they reached the end, he shut it and when Selina reached over to take it from him, he held it out of her reach.  
>"What are you doing?" She asked.<br>"Nothing," he said. He winked at her, holding the book out teasingly. "Do you want this?"

She nodded. "As a matter of fact, I do." She reached for the book, leaning in closer and closer. When she realized that one more movement would cause their lips to touch, she quickly turned her face away, but he took her chin in his hand and gently turned her face so that they were eye to eye. Then, he leaned forward and kissed her gently, throwing the book behind him so that his other hand could come up around her waist and pull her closer to him. She resisted for just a moment, then he felt her relax against him, her hands going around his neck. All too quickly though, he felt nothing but cold air between them as he felt himself be shoved roughly away from her. Jarred, he opened his eyes. She was gazing at him, her eyes wide and horrified. She'd shoved herself away from him and was now standing over him, breathing hard.

"What's the matter?" He asked her. She backed away from him and then took off running without uttering another word. He got up to run after her, reaching out to try and catch hold of her hand so he could make her be still and explain what was going on, but she was so fast he couldn't seem to catch her. When they reached the house, she slammed the door shut, locking it behind her and leaving him alone on the porch.

* * *

><p>It took awhile but eventually, he managed to get back inside where he found her in the kitchen. When she looked up and saw him, she gasped, running out. He decided not to follow her this time. Something had happened between them and he knew for certain that he wanted it to happen again. But she'd obviously been spooked. What did he have to do for a repeat performance?<p>

She came back a while later, redressed in the same type of severe, dark colored dress she'd worn before this morning. Her hair was up again. When she saw him, she didn't smile, she just curtsied. Actually _curtsied_. "Is there something I can do for you sir?" She asked. Her voice was subdued.

She was obviously pretending that nothing had happened. He played along. "I was looking for Adrian," he said. "Is he here?"

Selina shook her head. "No, sir. He went out to play sports with a group of boys about an hour ago. He should be back soon." Just as he finished saying this, the front door opened and a short while later, Adrian, dressed in grass stained jeans and a muddy black t-shirt, hobbled into the living room.

"Oh, my goodness," Selina said. "What happened to you?"

Adrian shrugged. "I fell down and hurt myself. I'm bleeding. And I think I twisted my ankle!"

"Oh," Selina said, "You should be in bed then." She looked at Klaus. "Would you help him up to his room?" She asked. "I'll come up to check on you in a little while."

Adrian smiled. "All right, Nanny," he said and leaned against his father as they both made their way up to his room.

* * *

><p>Once Adrian was tucked into bed, Klaus sat down next to him.<br>"I think I hate you now," he said. "Stop manipulating your mother. It's wrong. I know you aren't really hurt."  
>"Why?" Adrian looked at him with wide eyes. "You did it."<br>"Welll..." Klaus blustered for a second. "That's completely different!"  
>"No it's not," Adrian said. "You weren't getting any so you made Mommy come to bed with you even though she doesn't know you're married. it's the same thing."<br>Klaus shook his head. "Uh, no it isn't."  
>Just then, there was a knock at the bedroom door. "Are you all right, Adrian?" Selina asked. "Do you need anything? Some juice? Would you like me to fluff your pillow for you?"<br>Adrian sat up. "Well maybe just a little."  
>She fluffed up his pillow and just as she turned to leave, Adrian put a hand on her arm. "I would feel a lot better if I had a hug," he said, holding his arms out. She hugged him and ruffled his hair.<p>

Klaus felt his muscles begin to tighten. He grabbed a figurine that was resting on Adrian's dresser (and that happened to be one of Selina's favorites) and slamed it down hard on the floor so that it shattered, causing Adrian and Selina to jump and separate.

"Are you all right, Daddy?" Adrian asked.

"No I'm not," he said. He grabbed Selina by the arm and led her out into the hallway. When they were far enough away from Adrian's room, he pushed her against the wall and kissed her again. This time she struggled. "What's the matter with you?" She asked.

"What's the matter with _me_?" He began laughing insanely. "Nothing's the matter with _me_! It's all you! I've tried hard, really I have, and what has it gotten me? Absolutely nothing!"

"Well, I-" She began.

He shook her. "Shut up!" He snapped. "What is it with you, you bloody woman? Why do you torture me so? What...do...I...have...to...do...for...some...attention?" Each word was followed by a shake that rattled Selina's teeth. When he finally let her go, she was sobbing.

She looked up at him, tears running down her cheeks. She whimpered, he sneered. When he shoved her away, she put her hands over her face and run off.

"Daddy," Adrian said. He'd seen the whole thing. "What did you do _that _for?"

"Well," Klaus said, "I'm tired of being the one who gets no attention around here, that's why. She was just like this when we were first together. She would stay the night and then in the morning, she'd act horrified by what we did, even though any idiot with eyes and ears could tell she was really enjoying herself, and run off. She came back at night, though." He grinned. "She always came back."

"You miss her being Mommy, don't you?" Adrian asked.

"I do," Klaus nodded. He sighed. "You go check on her and see if she's all right. I'm going to go for a drive and try to clear my head a bit."

* * *

><p>"Well look who it is!" Elijah said when he opened the front door at Klaus' knock. "I've seen a lot of you recently. Has Selina's memory returned?"<p>

"No," Klaus sat down. "No it hasn't, and I think I really messed things up this time."

"What happened?" Elijah asked. He brought Klaus a drink and sat back down.

"Well," Klaus told him, "I followed Alistair's advice; Selina and I were reading a book in the yard and then after we finished, I played keep away with her and we ended up kissing and she really liked it, but once she realized what we were doing, she pulled away and ran off. She locked me out of the house, too, if you can believe that. Then Adrian comes home from playing sports with some of the fakest injuries you have ever seen and the little monster milked them for all they were worth even though he wasn't hurt at all. And you know what Selina did? She fell for it! She made me take him up to bed and tuck him and then she came in and was fluffling pillows and hugging him and ruffling his hair...and I just lost it."

"So you hurt her?" Elijah asked.

"I think I scared her quite a bit," he said. "And there might be some brusing when she wakes up tomorrow. All I want is a little attention. Is that so wrong?"

"No," Elijah shook his head. "But after a display like the one you must have put on, it will take something pretty impressive to get her to trust you again. What are you going to do?"

Klaus shrugged. "I don't know. Do you have any suggestions? Should I be honest with her?"

"That's not going to do a lot of good if she doesn't remember what you're telling her," Elijah said.

"Wait," Klaus said, "I think I've got an idea."

* * *

><p>Klaus found Selina in the library the next day. "Good morning, Miss Warren," he said to her.<p>

She looked up and gasped. "Oh, good morning, sir." She said.

"Could we talk about yesterday?" He asked.

"What about yesterday?" She asked nervously. "If you're referring to the kiss outside, I will take complete responsibility for that. I should have controlled myself better. I-"

"Stop," he said. "I didn't mean that. I wanted to apologize for what I did after we left Adrian's room."

"Oh," She lowered her eyes. "Thank you."

"Are you all right?" He asked. "Did I bruise you?"

"I don't think so," she shook her head. "Could I ask what caused it? Did I do something to make you upset? If I did, I apologize."

He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "It's nothing you did," he said. "It's just that we're coming on a very difficult time for me and I get on edge, you might say."

"Really?" Selina asked. "Could you tell me why? Or is it private?"

"No." He paused. "A year ago," he said carefully, "Adrian's mother lost her mind. She no longer recognized any of us. We finally had to send her away."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Selina said. "How horrible for you."

"Yes," he nodded. "Sometimes I just get lonely. I miss being held. I miss being touched. So I guess, this morning when I kissed you, I-"

"Oh," Selina said. "It's all right. To tell you the truth, I didn't really mind. It was kind of nice, actually."

He grinned. "Was it?"

She nodded and held out her arms. "Listen," she said, "if you need to talk about anything at all, I'm here to listen."

He put his arms around her and held her close. This time, she didn't pull away from him. He took a deep breath. She smelled so good. Like roses and vanilla. It took all the control he had not to kiss her again. He didn't want to overwhelm her with too much too soon. He didn't want her running off again.

"Do you need to talk some more?" She asked when he finally pulled away.

"If you don't mind," he said. "Would you come with me to dinner tomorrow?"

"Really?" She asked, looking surprised. "Of course. I'd love to."

* * *

><p>"I'm a genius," Klaus said, appearing quite suddenly in Elijah's backyard.<p>

"Selina's memory's back now?" Elijah asked.

"No," Klaus shook his head. "But it will be soon. She and I are having dinner tomorrow."

"Are you?" Elijah asked. "What did you say to make her say yes?"

"Well," Klaus said, "it occurred to me that she really took to Adrian milking his fake injury. Eventually I realized I had something I could milk for sympathy too: how I'm all alone and miserable because my wife went crazy and had to be sent away. Good thing she doesn't know I'm talking about her, huh?" He grinned.

"Wow," Elijah stared at him. "That just might work. I'm impressed."

"Thank you," Klaus said. "If I play my cards correctly, I might not be sleeping alone tonight."

Elijah shook his head. "You're completely transparent, you know that?"

Klaus nodded. "As a matter of fact, I do." he said.

* * *

><p>"This is a lovely place," Selina said as she sat down across from Klaus at their table. They were at a restaurant that the two of them usually went to when they were able to get a night out for just the two of them.<p>

"I thought you'd like it," he said. He ordered wine and once the waiter had gone, Selina leaned forward. "So," she said, "you haven't forgotten the reason for this outing, have you?"

"No," he said. "I haven't."

"Are you feeling better than you did yesterday?" She asked.

"Yes, actually," he said. "It's something to do with the company, I guess."

She gave him a small grin. "So where do you want to start?"

He thought a moment. "I guess I'll start at the day she got sick," he said. "It was Halloween. We were at a party and then she fainted. She must have hit her head or something when she fell because afterward, she began acting like she didn't know any of us: not me, not my brother, not Adrian. She began distancing herself from me, and after many lonely nights it just got too painful to be around her when she had no idea who anyone around her was. So although it wounded me deeply, I thought it would be best to send her away, both for Adrian's sake and for my own."

"I can't imagine what the two of you went through," Selina said. "It must have been very difficult."

"It was," he nodded. "But things are getting better every day. Where did you get that necklace?"

She looked down at it as if she'd just noticed it, even though she hadn't taken it off since her birthday. "I don't know," she shrugged. "I've had if for as long as I can remember."

"Could it be a gift from someone?" He prompted. "Your mother, perhaps?"

"It couldn't be," Selina shook her head. "It's much too ostentatious to catch my mother's eye." She gasped. "Perhaps I have a young man somewhere." She looking at him appealingly. "Do you think that could be it?"

He nodded. "I think you may be right," he said.

"Could you help me find him?" She asked. "I mean, it would really help me figure out just who I am and where I came from."

He nodded. She tried to take the necklace off, and to their surprise, they saw that she couldn't. It seemed to be stuck to her skin.

"Leave it alone," Klaus said. "We'll figure out what to do about it later."

"All right," she nodded. The skin around the necklace was raw, but the sapphire still glimmered in the light.

They spent the rest of the meal discussing her (although she didn't know it) and the evening ended on a high note; although she didn't go to bed with him, she did give him a kiss before telling him goodnight and shutting her bedroom door behind her.

* * *

><p>Three nights later, she shot up in bed. "Oh, my God," she whispered to herself. She got out of bed to shake Adrian awake.<p>

"What is it?" Adrian asked sleepily. She hustled him into the bathroom and shut the door. "What's the matter, Nanny?" he asked her.

She frowned. "Why are you calling me 'Nanny'? I'm your mother, remember?"


	20. Divide and Conquer

Adrian's eyes widened. "You know you're my mommy?"

"Yes," Selina nodded. "I remember again. I don't know how, but I do."

"This is so great!" Adrian ran for the bathroom door. "We should tell Daddy."

"No!" Selina shook her head. "We can't do that yet."

"Why not?" Adrian asked.

She grinned. "Because I want to mess with him first. Did you know that he compelled me while my memory was gone? Well, actually it wasn't so much gone as, well, it was like I knew who I was inside of my head, but I couldn't bring it outside because I had to be somebody else. So I knew what was going on, I just couldn't express it because of whatever the hell happened to me. Anyway, he compelled me and now I want to mess with him for it, so we can't tell him that I'm better. Understand?"

Adrian sighed. "All right, Mommy. But it's not very nice."

"Well," Selina glared at him. "It's not nice to fake injuries and make Mommy fluff your pillows and bring you juice, either."

Adrian nodded. "Good point."

"Now go back to bed," Selina told him. She waited for him to climb onto his bed and pulled the covers over him. But he didn't close his eyes right away. "Are you going to go sleep with Daddy now that you're better?" He asked.

Selina shook her head. "Not right now, but he'll see me in the morning."

* * *

><p>Klaus was dressing when he heard a knock on his bedroom door. "Who is it?" He called.<p>

"It's me, sir." Selina called. "Could I come in?"

He went and opened the door, starting a little. She was standing on the other side of the door in a short, rose colored silk bathrobe. "Good morning," she said chirpily. "The hot water isn't working too well in my shower. Is it all right if I used yours?"

He cleared his throat. "Of course," he said after a moment. "And if there's anything I can do to help you, don't hesitate to ask."

She turned and smiled at him. "That's sweet," she said as she undid the robe and let it fall to the floor. "But I think I'll be all right."

She went into the bathroom and turned on the water, cheerfully humming as she washed her hair. Klaus kept buttoning his shirt and after he finished, he went to stand by the bathroom door and listen to her. He was leaning against it, so that when she opened it again, it knocked him in the head.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said. "I had no idea you were standing there."

He blinked. "I'm all right, really."

"Are you sure?" She asked. She looked down at his shirt. "All your buttons are crooked," she pointed out. "Here, let me fix them."

"Sure, all right," he said. She reached out and redid his buttons. "I'm going to go get dressed myself," she said. "Are you going to take Adrian to school? If you are, don't forget to pick up Helene on your way."

* * *

><p>Selina picked up Helene and Adrian at the end of the day. When they arrived back at the house, Adrian took Rusty into the backyard while Helene and Selina went inside. "So what do you want to do?" Selina asked her. "Would you like to watch a movie, or-"<p>

"Can we make cookies?" Helene asked.

"Sure," Selina nodded. "That sounds good."

They got out all the ingriedients for chocolate chip ones and then Selina said, "Would you go ask Adrian if he wants to help us?"

Helene was staring out the window into the yard. "I'll try," she sighed. "But I don't think he'll want to come out. He's in his man cave."

Selina snorted. "His what?"

"His man cave," Helene said, rolling her eyes. "No girls allowed."

Selina rolled her eyes and headed toward the back door. "Well that is just ridiculous." She found his little fort where Rusty stood guard outside. a handwritten sign read "No Girls Allowed."

Rusty saw her and began barking. "Who is it?" Adrian asked him, his head peeking out.

"It's me," Selina said. "Helene and I are going to make cookies. Would you like to help us?"

"No," Adrian shook his head. "That's girl stuff. Rusty and me are having a council of war."

"What kind of war?" Helene asked. "Can I play?"

"No," Adrian shook his head. "Girls can't do war."

Selina put her hands on her hips. "Says who?" She asked. "I'll have you know that I've lived through several wars."

"But did you fight in them?" Adrian asked.

"No," Selina shook her head. "But it was only because my mother wouldn't let me."

"See?" Adrian said. "Wars are men's job."

Just then, Helene ran up behind him and dumped a half full container of blue paint over his head. Selina and Helene both laughed until they were sick. "I think you beat him," Selina said when she could get a breath.

After being in shock for several minutes, Adrian went and got the garden hose and hit both of them with a stream of ice cold water.

"I win," he said decisively. "Now leave me alone."

Selina followed him in. "Just what do you do in here?" She asked. She noticed a small television in the corner and frowned when she saw what he'd been watching. "Rumble Smackdown: Fights to the Death?" She said in disbelief. "Who said you could watch this?"

"Daddy did," Adrian said simply. "He said it would prepare me for real life. Plus it's cool when they bleed." He grinned.

"You should _not_ be watching this," Selina said severely, shutting his television off and taking it away amid his protestations.

* * *

><p>Adrian sulked in his room for a little while, and when he came downstairs, Klaus was home and Selina and Helene were watching television and eating the cookies they made. "Can I have some?" he asked, reaching for one.<p>

"No," Selina shook her head.

"Why not?" Adrian asked.

"Because I don't think you should get to have any cookies when Helene and I did all the work making them and you did absolutely nothing," Selina said. "When you help make the cookies, you can eat them.

Adrian turned and looked appealingly at his father. "Daddy, can you make Mommy give me a cookie?"

Selina's eyes widened.

"Come on, Selina," Klaus said. "It's just one cookie. What difference could that possibly make?" He snatched one off the plate and handed it to Adrian. "Thank you, Daddy!" Adrian said and scampered away. Selina rolled her eyes and left the room until it was time for Klaus to take Helene home.

* * *

><p>Klaus and Adrian returned from Alistair's house after dropping off Helene. Klaus told Adrian that he was just going to run in and out, so Adrian stayed in the car while Klaus went inside. They were planning on going mini-golfing and he wanted to ask Selina to join him-them. He went into the bedroom and saw her standing in front of the mirror and twirling, wearing a tight white button down shirt and a navy blue skirt that reached her knees and twirled when she spun, giving him a marvelous view of her legs. He growled softly and kept hold of the doorframe She saw his reflection in the mirror and turned, gasping. "Oh," he said. "I didn't mean to startle you."<br>"No," she shook her head. "It's all right. Did you need something?"  
>"Well," he said, "Adrian and I were going to go mini-golfing. Would you be interested in coming with us?"<br>"Of course," she said, striding towards him. "That sounds delightful. Just let me change my clothes. If I wore something like this out in public, I would feel so naked...exposed...and vulnerable."  
>He growled again as their chests touched. "Are you all right?" She asked.<br>"Just my stomach," he said, trying to keep his face neutral.  
>"Oh," she nodded. "Well if your stomach isn't right, then you shouldn't go out. You should stay in bed for the rest of the day."<br>She leaned forward and began unbuttoning his shirt. Then she pulled it off and threw it on the floor. "Do you need help removing your pants?" She asked. "Or can you do that yourself?"  
>"No," he said. His voice was tight. She wasn't sick anymore. She was trying to ruin him. "I can do it."<br>"All right," she whispered, very close to his ear. "Just let me change my clothes and then I'll take Adrian out while you rest."  
>She went into the closet and pulled the curtain closed. But even with the curtain, he still saw her silhouette as she undressed. She did it slowly too, as if she knew he was watching. By the time she came out, he was nearly in tears. "I'll be going now," she said as she watched him, her lip twitching. "We should be back in a couple of hours or so. You know my number if you need anything."<p>

* * *

><p>Selina came into the bedroom. she was soaking wet from head to toe. Her clothes stuck to her.<br>"What happened to you?" Klaus asked her from the bed. "Have a little accident at the golf course, did we?"  
>"Yeah," she nodded and turned her back to him, rustling through the shirts in the top drawer of the armoire. "A goose got hold of my scarf and went with it into the pond. It's silk you know, so I went after it and got kind of soaked.<br>She turned her head. "Enjoying the view?" she asked.  
>He grinned and nodded. "Oh, immensely. But you're not wearing any panties, are you?"<br>She shook her head. "They were giving me the worst wedgie, so I took them off when I got in the house."  
>She began undoing her shirt. "Hey!" He cried. "What are you doing?"<br>She turned. "Changing my clothes. Do you have some sort of problem with that?"  
>"What did I ever do to you?" He asked. "You're torturing me here, you know."<br>"Awww," she said. "Do you want a little attention? Why don't you just compel me? You know what that's like, right?"  
>He got out of bed. "Look," he began. "There was a reason why I did that-"<br>"Save it," she cut him off. "I don't want to hear it. And whatever happened, I hope it sucked."  
>"It did," he said, coming to stand across from her. He grinned. "Well, I was great as usual, but you, you were lacking." A smile played over his lips.<br>"You jackass," she frowned. "You're picturing me naked, aren't you?"  
>"No," he said. "What you did was evil and self absorbed and just <em>mean.<em>"  
>She grinned. "You've never wanted me more, have you?"<p>

He shook his head, his eyes narrowed. "Bitch," he said softly.

"Jackass!"

"Tramp!"

"Idiot!"

She aimed a punch at him, but he stopped it just before it reached his face and then pulled her to him. "Let me go," she said. She pushed herself away and shoved him hard against the dresser. Several of the knickknacks fell to the floor as the dresser shook.

He shook his head and got up again, advancing on her. She slapped him and he threw her to the floor as his cheek reddened. They were both breathing hard. "What now?" She asked him.

"It depends," he said, holding her arm down. "Are you going to hit me again?"

"Maybe," she said.

He picked her up and carried her to the bed, tying her up. "Why did you do this to us?" He asked. "You made us both miserable. Was it _fun_ for you?"

"It reminded me of the old days, actually," Selina said. "When I hated your guts, remember?"

He unzipped his pants and grinned, taking her hand as he peeled off her skirt. "You may have hated my guts," he whispered. "But you _loved _the rest of me." As he drew out the word, he rubbed her hand against him.

She sucked in a breath. "Are you sure?" She asked. He nodded. "That's why you always came back." He untied her and kissed her, then, as she threw her arms around him, he entered her and she screamed.

* * *

><p>That night, Klaus went into their bedroom and found Selina gone. He began to look around for her and found her on the pullout couch in the den. "Coming to bed?" He asked her.<p>

"No," she shook her head. "I'm fine where I am, thank you."

He rolled his eyes when he noticed what she was wearing. "Look at this," he said, running hand over her sweats. "You must be mad at me cause you're wearing your ugly jammies. What, pray tell, did I do now?"

She sat up. "You should know," She said. "If you don't, I'm not going to tell you." She turned away and then he snorted and sat down next to her. "Will you stop acting like such a _girl_ and tell me what the problem is so we can fix it?"

Selina sat up. "Maybe I don't want to fix it," she said. "Maybe you should just go away and leave me alone. I think I prefer to be grumpy."

"You're being ridiculous," he cried, trying to pull her from the couch.

Selina struggled. "Are you _trying_ to pick a fight with me?"

He grinned and slipped a hand under the band of her sweat pants. "Come on," he said slyly. He began kissing her neck. "You know I'm a lover not a fighter."

She punched him in the eye and he fell off the sofa. "But I can fight very well when provoked."

Selina sat up. "Good. I'll meet you in the basement."

* * *

><p>They met in the gymnasium space and stood across from one another. "All right," he said. "Here are the stakes: I win, you tell me what the matter is, you win, you get to sulk and be miserable as long as you like."<p>

Selina nodded. "All right."

He grinned. "You know," he said, "You're the first person to fight me in I don't know how long."

"Why?" Selina asked, throwing practice punches at the air. "Because you've charmed everyone else? Convinced them that you're so wonderful that they don't _want_ to fight you? Are you some kind of saint or something?"

"No," he laughed. "Definitely not a saint. The devil. They know if they fight me, they'll be dead."

"And I know that you wouldn't kill me if you had the opportunity," Selina said.

They began throwing punches. Eventually, they heard a noise. Adrian appeared with Rusty trailing behind him.

"Go to bed," Selina said to him. "It's late."

"I can't sleep," Adrian said. "You two are making too much noise." He stared at them. "Are you two fighting? This is just like on Rumble Smackdown!" He sat on the floor and pulled out a bag of red licorice nibs which he chewed on one at a time.

Selina ducked one of Klaus' punches and then she rushed him, but he deftly avoided her. She had too much momentum going and almost fell down. But Klaus caught her just in time and threw her to the floor, pinning her. She couldn't move. "Looks like I win," he said grinning.

"Oh, fine," Selina huffed. "Just get off me!" She stalked over to where Adrian was sitting and snatched his licorice away. "What's the rule about sweets before bedtime?" She said.

"I can't have any?" Adrian said.

"Exactly," Selina nodded. "And no watching that stupid Rumble Smackdown show either."

"But it'll prepare him for reality," Klaus said.

"He's seven," Selina said. "Besides, I could tell him _much _gorier things than any wrestling show could dredge up." She frowned at Klaus. "You need to stop giving him permission to do stuff I've already told him he couldn't do!" She explolded. "You always do that!"

"Because what you're always telling him is wrong," Klaus said. "If we have daughters you can have them spend their formative years in happy singing bunny land, but Adrian needs to learn what he can do. That has nothing to do with you."

"Gee," Selina huffed. "After more than a day of labor, you think it would have _something_ to do with me."

"It doesn't," Klaus said.

"Fine," Selina said, glaring at him. "If anyone needs me, I'll be in the den. Goodnight." She limped away, leaving Adrian and Klaus staring at one another.

"You know," Klaus said, "I think I'm starting to miss her amnesia. At least then she called me 'Sir'."


	21. The Set up

After Adrian had gone to sleep, Klaus decided to sneak down to the den where Selina had tucked herself into the sofa bed.

"Hi," he said to her. "Feeling lonely?"

"No," Selina turned away from him. "Leave me alone. I hate you right now and nothing you can say will make it better!"

"You're beautiful, you know," Klaus whispered in her ear.  
>She smiled and blushed a little. "Thanks," she said. "But you don't have to keep telling me that. I already let you sleep with me."<br>"I _do_ have to keep telling you that!" he insisted. "Because for some reason I can't understand, you don't see how pretty you are."  
>She kissed him. "If that's a line," she said, "It's a damn good one."<br>"It's not," he said. "I will make you believe it someday, even if it takes telling you all day and making love to you all night."

"Awww," She leaned forward. "How sweet. Weird, you know, cause its us and everything. But sweet."

He put a hand under her chin and held her eyes. "So you aren't mad at me anymore?"

She sighed. "I guess I never really_ was_ mad at you. It was all about Adrian."

"Why?" He asked.

"Well remember when you saw me hugging him and you threw that temper tantrum because I was paying attention to him and not you? It's kind of like that."

"Oh," Klaus nodded. "Only, now you're me, Adrian's you and I'm Adrian?"

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "I just feel kind of left out, you know? And since he's on that 'no girls allowed in my mancave' thing, I don't get to see him much. Why did you even tell him he could _have_ a stupid mancave?"

"Because everybody needs their own space," Klaus said. "That no girls allowed sign is mainly so Helene stays out of his business. I don't think it applies to you. And even if it did, I would still let you into _my _secret hiding place."

"Please," she rolled her eyes. "The door on _your _secret hiding place would read 'All Girls Allowed'."

He grinned. "Hypothetically, yes it would. But you'd come along and mess it up, wouldn't you?"

She nodded. "Uh, you better believe I would."

He pulled the sweatshirt off her and ran his hands over her neck, shoulders and back. "You're very tense, you know," he said. He pulled the covers off her and noticed that she slept on her side curled up in a little ball. "We need to loosen you up." He began working on her shoulders.

"Yes," she moaned, letting her head drop to the pillow. "Tension is bad. Make it go away."

"All right," he nodded, taking off his shirt and straddling her waist so he was sitting on her butt. He began moving down from her shoulders onto her back. She moaned and gasped. "I'm going to have to work on _you_ later, aren't I?" She grinned.

He nodded. "Maybe just a little."

When she was loose and languid, he flipped her over. "Are we doing the other side now?" She asked. "You know, you're very good with your hands."

He began to kiss her neck. He could feel her begin to squirm underneath him. She reached up and began unbuttoning his shirt. She began singing. "It was like shooting a sitting duck. A little small talk, a smile and baby, I was stuck," she pushed herself upward, pushinf his shirt off him.

"I still don't know what you've done with me. A grown-up woman should never fall so easily." She kissed him. "I feel a kind of fear, when I don't have you near. Unsatisfied, I skipped my pride, I beg you dear..."

She grinned at him. "Don't go wasting your emotions. Lay all your love on me. Don't go sharing your devotions. Lay all your love on me."

He kissed her. She moaned and he pulled her up so that they were sitting wrapped in one another. She put her chin on his shoulder while he kissed her neck, giggling because it tickled. Then, she reached down and undid his belt buckle. "We have to do this right," she whispered. "Or we shouldn't be doing it at all. Will you let me be on top?" She unzipped his pants and began stroking him. He breathed hard. "Well," he said, "maybe just for a little while..." He lay down and she removed his pants, beginning to lick and suck on him. Finally, he growled and moved to flip her over so he could enter her, but as he did so, her elbow hit the radio on the bedside table and it blared to life.

"...Take my breath away..." the woman on the radio sang. Selina burst out laughing and pulled away.

"What's so funny?" He asked. "I finally get you out of your panties and you pull away. That's not how it's supposed to work. So what's wrong?"

"Nothing," she giggled. "This is our song. You sang it to me at our wedding."

"I did not!" He cried.

"Yes, you did," she wiped tears from her eyes. "You were really drunk, and all the words were slurred, but you definitely did. You passed out afterwards. That's probably another reason why you don't remember."

"Well as I recall," Klaus said, "You were as drunk as I was at our wedding, so how do _you_ remember it?"

"Oh," she smiled. "Margaret taped it and put it on the internet. Apparently it's a very popular video."

"Well," he said and kissed her, "after we finish up here, I'm going to have to have a look at that." She grinned and turned the volume down on the radio, moaning with satisfaction as she leaned back and he slowly entered her.

* * *

><p>By the time they came back to themselves, the sun had come up. "That was fun," she grinned at him. "Damn, you are really good."<p>

He took her hand and kissed each one of her fingers. "You aren't so bad yourself, for a woman who's been around for less than two-hundred years."

She laughed. "You're too kind. We should probably get dressed before Adrian comes and finds us. We're not in our room, so you know he's going to come looking."

"And he _does_ have a habit of showing up at the most inopportune times," Klaus nodded.

Selina looked over herself. "We were really calm last night? See?" She showed herself to him. "No bites or scratches. That hasn't happened for awhile."

"Are you feeling shortchanged?" He asked.

She shook her head. "No. Just making an observation."

She began rooting around for her clothes. She found every piece except one. She turned around. "Have you seen my underwear?" She asked him.

He held them up. "You mean these?" He asked. She snatched them away, dressed, and then went to wake up Adrian for school.

* * *

><p>A few days later, Selina was reading in the library when she was interrupted by a knock on the door. "Come in," she called. Adrian strode in, clutching the phone. "Somebody wants to talk to you. I thought it was Grandma at first, but it doesn't sound like her."<p>

"Thank you," Selina said, taking the phone and putting it up to her ear. She sat down on the sofa, expecting Adrian to leave, but instead, he sat down on the arm, watching interestedly.

Selina cleared her throat. "Hello?"

"Selina?" The caller sounded exasperated. "I had to get this number from Margaret. When are you going to come and see us? We have to talk. And who was it that answered the phone?"

"It's a long story," Selina said. "I'll explain it all to you when I see you, all right. Goodbye."

"Who was that?" Adrian asked. "That wasn't Grandma, was it?"

"Well," Selina winced. "Yes and no. It wasn't the grandma your used to, but it _was_ your grandma. My mother."

Adrian's eyes widened. "But you said she was dead! Why would she call us?"

Selina sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "Here's the thing. She's not really dead. Neither of my parents are."

"But how?" Adrian asked.

Selina took him in her lap. "They're vampires too. Come here."

She took him to her and Klaus' bedroom and pulled an oblong box out from under the bed. "All my special stuff is in this box," she said. "All my pictures, letters, diaries. Practically everything that was special to me." She pulled the lid up and took out a picture. "This is of my parents the day they got married," Selina said.

Adrian smiled. "That looks like you with blond hair," he said.

Selina nodded. "Everybody always said that." She pointed at her father. "And this is my Daddy. He went off to war when I was two months old and didn't come back. That's what made everything go wrong for me. Mama remarried after that, to a man who wasn't very nice."

But Adrian clearly wasn't interested in hearing the sob story that was her life. "So when did they become _vampires_?" He asked. "'Cause that's what they are."

Selina sighed. "For Daddy, it was about six months after he started fighting. He got a disease called typhoid and was on the brink of death when one of the nurses decided she had a crush on him. She also happened to be a vampire. So she gave him her blood and poisoned him. But she didn't tell the doctor what she'd done, so he was buried alive, in a manner of speaking. After he was rescued by the doctor, the two of them became very close. Doctor Stensrund showed Daddy how to survive."

"The doctor was a vampire _too_?"

Selina nodded. "He's the one who turned me. But back to my father. By the time Daddy was stable enough to be around normal people, the army had already told my mother that he was dead, so Daddy couldn't very well show up on our doorstep and say 'Honey, I'm home'. But he did come home every year. Doctor Stensrund took a job in Mystic Falls, the town where I grew up, and every time Mama would leave, he would let Daddy know, and Daddy would come and visit me. Of course they'd always erase my memory of it afterwards, so I wouldn't go blabbing to Mama and give him away, which was a really bad idea and-"

"Mommy," Adrian interrupted, "You're ranting again."

Selina nodded. "Sorry. Anyway, When I was eighteen, shortly after I got turned, Daddy came back again. He'd heard that Mama was very sick, so he came back to save her. The two of them ran off together and I didn't see either of them again until just recently, so they may as well have been dead."

Adrian nodded, his expression serious. "You don't like them much, do you?"

Selina sighed. "They're good in their own way, I suppose. But Mama wasn't exactly happy with me when I told her that I was fully accepting of my werewolf side, so I decided that that was it, and I left with your father. Soon afterward, we found out we were going to have you, so I really don't feel like I've lost anything." But she ran her hand over the photo and swallowed.

"Why did you tell her you would come to visit then if you don't like her?"

"Oh," Selina sighed. "When I was sick, I tried to kill both of them cause I didn't know I was a vampire. She figures I should at least say sorry for that, and if I don't do it now, she'll just nag me until I do. Would you like to come?"

"Sure!" Adrian said. "I like going to places I've never been before!"

"Actually," Selina said, "You have been there. Daddy and I had to go to one of Aunt Susan's parties at the same time Astrid and Alistair were out of town. You were teething and I left you with my sister. You scared her and she told me that she never wanted you near her again."

"Well that's not very nice," Adrian pouted.

Selina nodded. "I'm sure she'd love you now that you don't chew on things anymore."

* * *

><p>"So what's the problem?" Astrid asked.<p>

"My mother wants me to come and apologize for almost killing her and Daddy," Selina shrugged. "But it wasn't even my fault cause I had that magical amnesia." She frowned. "How come I can remember stuff now? Do you have any idea?"

"Yes, actually," Astrid said. "And it's both good news and bad news."

"What happened?" Selina leaned forward eagerly.

"Alistair killed Hazel," Astrid said quietly. "And when she died, every spell she'd casted ended. She cast the spell that made you lose your memory, so once she died, you were able to remember again."

Selina's eyes widened. "How in hell did Astrid kill Hazel? I thought all the sisters were indistructible."

"Actually, only Vanessa chose to use her powers to the utmost," Astrid said. "Both Hazel and Enid are capable of being killed and when Alistair realized that the reason why she gave you the amnesia was so that you would inadvertantly kill Adrian or yourself, he decided to take action and he killed her. Which means that Vanessa's going to be working doubly hard to get rid of you. She probably knows what happened to Hazel and has a trick or two up her sleeve right now."

"So we're rid of one problem, but others are left in its wake," Selina sighed. "Isn't that always the way?"

"Yes," Astrid nodded. "Watch yourself."

* * *

><p>"This is a nice house," Adrian said. "Do your parents have lots of money?"<p>

"Yes," Selina nodded. "One of the many reasons why Mommy and Daddy don't have to work. That and the fact that Doctor Stensrund was a privateer before he became honest and law abiding, and when he turned me, I got mad, killed him and absconded with all his treasure."

"What's a privateer?" Adrian asked.

"Oh," Selina said. "That's a person who gets paid by the government of one country to rob and kill people from another country."

"Wow," Adrian said. "Can I be a privateer?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "They don't have them anymore."

"I can't believe you took all his treasure!" Adrian told her. "That's so cool!"

Selina grinned. "I'm glad you think so."

She got out of the car and asked Adrian to take her hand as she led him inside. They found themselves in the kitchen. Her father was sitting and reading the paper. She cleared her throat and he looked up. "Hello, Daddy." She said quietly.

"Hello, dear," he said. When he saw Adrian, he started. "And who's this?"

"This is Adrian," Selina said. "He's my son. Your grandson."

Matthew Warren's eyes widened. "How...?" He trailed off.

"It has to do with the werewolf gene," Selina said. "I'll explain later. Where's Mama?"

"She went out to get things for dinner tonight," Matthew said. "And we're having a guest over, so make sure you dress nicely."

"All right, Daddy," Selina sighed, leading Adrian upstairs. "You take the room next to mine," she pointed, just as the strains of "The Bonny Blue Flag" drifted up from downstairs. Selina sighed and went into her room to unpack.

* * *

><p>When she heard voices chatting boistrously downstairs, she knew it was time for dinner. Selina looked in Adrian's room, but he wasn't there. He must've gone down already, she decided. She'd put on a blue sundress that went nicely with her eyes and put her hair up. She went slowly down the stairs and when her father saw her, he grinned. "There you are," he said. "What took you so long?"<p>

"I-I couldn't decide what to wear," she stammered. Seated next to her father was a man who had his back to her. When he turned, she gasped. She couldn't believe _he_ was here, of all people.

"Hello, my beautiful darling," he said, pushing blonde hair out of his eyes. Looking at him now, it dawned on Selina how much Aleksandr looked like Klaus.

"Hello," Selina said, "Why are you here?"

"I invited him when your mother told me you were coming," her father said, grinning. "I thought the two of you could use a chance to catch up."

Selina sat down and looked around the table uneasily.

Conversation was stilted as the meal progressed. Finally, just as her mother was bringing out dessert, Adrian said, "Mommy, I need help in the bathroom. Could you come with me?"

"Sure," Selina nodded and put her napkin in her chair, following him into the bathroom. He shut the door, frowning at her. "Who's that man next to grandpa?" Adrian asked. "And why did he call the kind of name that only Daddy should be calling you?"


	22. Under Duress

Selina stared at him. He had his arms crossed across his chest and he was frowning. "So?" he said. "Who is he? Why does he sorta look like Daddy?"

"Oh," Selina ran her hand nervously down her neck. "He's nobody, Adrian. Nobody you need to worry about."

"Really?" Adrian asked. "Maybe you're lying."

Selina burst out laughing. "No I'm not! And why are you talking like that me anyway? You're the little boy. I'm the grown up. You can't talk to me like that. Stop sounding like your father. It's creepy!"

Adrian sighed. "All right. I'm sorry, Mommy."

"It's all right," Selina said, putting a hand on his back and letting him lead her out of the bathroom. "Now let's just have dessert and play nice, all right?"

They got back to the table and sat down.

"Is everything all right?" Her mother asked.

"Yes," Selina nodded. "Everything is fine."

As soon as he'd finished his dessert, Adrian said "May I be excused, please?"

"Of course," her mother nodded.

"Where are you going?" Selina asked.

"I think I'm going to go lie down for a little while." Adrian said.

"All right," Selina nodded. "Just make sure you're down here in time for dinner."

Adrian nodded and got up to leave. Just as he reached the top of the stairs, he heard his mother and the other man talking.

"How about you and I go out to dinner tonight?" He asked. "I know we didn't part on the best of terms, but it might be nice to go out and clear the air, don't you think?"

Adrian slid down a couple of steps and stared down in between the railings of the stairs.

"Sure, I guess," Selina said. "I don't see the harm in that. In fact, it would be good for my parents to have a couple of hours alone with Adrian."

"I agree," the man nodded and then he kissed her hand. That was it. Adrian hurried back up the stairs and into his mother's bedroom where he dug around in her jacket until he found her cell phone. Then, he called home.

* * *

><p>The phone rang several times before Klaus finally decided to pick it up. "Yes?" He said.<p>

"Daddy, I think we're in trouble." The voice on the other end was urgent.

"Why?" He asked. "What's wrong?"

"There's a _guy_ downstairs, and he keeps giving Mommy funny looks. And he just_ kissed _her!"

Klaus' hand tightened on the phone. "You're serious? Just what does this guy look like?"

"Kind of like you," Adrian said. "But with reddish hair. Can I kill him?"

"Unfortunately no," Klaus told him. "That's my older brother, your uncle Aleksandr."

"So he's a vampire too?"

"Yes," Klaus nodded. "He and your mother were married some years ago, but he wrecked it for himself by leaving her. I don't think we have anything to worry about."

"I don't know," Adrian said. "They're going to go out to dinner tonight to make up with each other. Should I stall them?"

"No," Klaus said after a moment. "Say you want to go too."

"But what if they go somewhere fancy and Mommy makes me wear a suit?"

"Then you'll wear a suit," Klaus said. "Once you find out where they're going, let me know, and tonight, I'll meet you there. You won't have to do this all by yourself."

"All right," Adrian said. "Goodbye, Daddy."

* * *

><p>Selina and Aleksandr were just about to leave when Adrian suddenly sprinted toward the door and threw his arms around her. "No, Mommy! Don't leave me!"<p>

Selina held him by the shoulders. "What are you _doing?" _She asked. "I've never seen you act like this before."

"Well I've never been in a house full of people I didn't know before." Adrian said. "Please take me with you!"

"Did your Daddy tell you to do this?" Selina asked.

"No," Adrian sobbed. "I'm just so sad!"

Selina rolled her eyes and gave Aleksandr a look. "I bet his father told him to do this."

"That wouldn't surprise me," Aleksandr nodded. "Niklaus has never been the most secure person and having Adrian come with us would be a perfect way to make sure we don't do anything 'bad' wouldn't it?"

"Should we play along?" Selina asked.

"I don't see the harm in it, but does he have a suit he can change in to?"

Adrian stopped crying and looked up in horror. "No, no! Not a suit!"

"Yes," Selina nodded. "We're going to a nice restaurant and you're the one who plotted with your Daddy to spy on me, so you're going to wear a suit."

"Okay," Adrian grumpily stomped up to his room. "When it's time, come down and I'll tie your tie for you," Selina said.

"Yeah, whatever," Adrian called back.

"Sorry about this," Selina turned back to Aleksandr. "Is this going to make us late?"

"No," he shook his head. "Not a bit."

"Okay," Selina sighed. "Good."

When Adrian got back downstairs, Selina did up his tie, and then they got into the car and headed to the restaurant. The whole ride, Adrian had a smug look on his face.

When they pulled into the restaurant parking lot, Adrian got out of the car a lot more enthusiastically then Selina expected from him. They headed inside and the waiter led them to a table for three.

"Three?" Selina said. She looked at Adrian. "Will that be okay? Will anyone else be joining us?"

"No," Adrian shook his head. "Why would you think that, Mommy?"

They ordered drinks and Adrian promptly spilled his as soon as it came, soaking Aleksandr's new leather shoes.

"I'm sorry," Adrian said. "I guess I'm just clumsy sometimes."

"It's okay," Aleksandr said, trying to keep a hold of himself. "Accidents happen."

Later, when the entrees arrived, as soon as Aleksandr's back was turned, Adrian emptied the entire bottle of hot sauce into his soup, so that he choked and sputtered and had to run to the bathroom to rinse his mouth out.

"Just what do you think you're doing, young man?" Selina asked.

"Sabotage," Adrian said. "Mommy, you should be ashamed of yourself, cheating on Daddy like this!"

"Oh, for heaven's sake," Selina rolled her eyes. "I'm not cheating on him!"

"Yes you _are_," Adrian said insistently.

"Please," Selina scoffed. "You're seven. What do you know about anything?"

"Daddy said you were," Adrian told her.

"Well," Selina snapped, "your daddy is a big fat liar!" She stood up quickly.

Adrian's expression softened. "Even when he said you were pretty?"

Selina narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips. "Except for that. Now, tell me where he's hiding!"

"Who?" Adrian asked innocently.

"Your daddy, that's who!" Selina said. "I know he's around here somewhere!"

"I don't know," Adrian shrugged. "But you could go look for him."

"Don't think I won't." Selina stalked off just as Aleksandr returned. "No," he said wearily. "Don't leave me alone with-"

"Oh, deal with it!" Selina called over her shoulder.

She was striding past the coat closet when suddenly somebody reached out and put one hand around her waist and another around her mouth and pulled her inside, shutting the door behind them.

"So," he whispered next to her ear. "Were you looking for me?"

"Yes," Selina said stiffly. "As a matter of fact, I was. What in the hell is your problem? Why are you so insecure that you can't even let me go for one evening?"

He pushed her up against the wall and shrugged her suit jacket off. "Let's see," he said as he ran a finger lightly down her arm, making her shiver. "You're on a date with my brother who used to be your ex-husband. Can you blame me for wanting to protect my territory?"

"What?" Selina asked. "I'm nobody's _territory_, all right? Now you're going to leave and take Adrian with you so I can have a nice night, _okay?"_

Klaus just grinned and shook his head. "I don't think so," he said.

"Well I do," Selina said. "And you'll just have to deal with it." She headed toward the closet door when he suddenly pulled her back. "Are you sure you really want to go out there?" He asked, running his fingers through her hair.

"Yes," Selina nodded. "Yes, I'm sure."

He moved his hand up her thigh and under her skirt, rubbing her. She gasped, moaning. She fell forward and he held her up with his other arm. She tilted her head up and thier lips met as she began unbuttoning his shirt. She moaned agan and reached down, pushing down her panties and kicking them aside. He began kissing her deeper as he pushed her up against the wall. Then, he picked her up and when they were firmly pressed up against one another, he thrusted several times and she shrieked, bringing a bunch of the coats down with them as they fell to the floor.

Selina was breathing hard when she became aware of things again. She'd fallen on top of him, her cheek against his bare chest. She gasped and pulled herself upward. "Oh, my god," she said when she rolled off him and sat on the floor.

"I love these little impromptu performances, don't you?" Klaus said. He was grinning.

"I don't believe this!" Selina said. "I try and have one evening away from you and then you have to show up and ruin it."

He raised an eyebrow. "If this is what ruining it is, I wonder what having a good time would look like?" He rolled his eyes. "Let me guess: if it was Aleksandr who'd seen you naked and not me?"

"Could be," Selina shrugged. "You never know." She began looking around for her clothes and dressed quickly. "I have to get out there," she said. "Your brother's probably wondering what happened to me."

She left the closet and he followed her to the table where Adrian and Aleksandr sat waiting.

"Look!" Adrian said brightly. "Mommy found Daddy!"

Aleksandr looked knowingly at her wrinkled suit. "She most certainly did."

"Yes," Selina nodded. "But he was just leaving and he said he'll take you with him if you want to go." She gave Adrian a look.

"Should we go, Daddy?" Adrian asked.

"Oh, I suppose it would only be polite of us to leave your mother alone," Klaus said. "If she wants to have a less than stimulating night, that's her prerogative."

"Thank you," Selina said, watching them go.

"What was that all about?" Aleksandr asked.

"Well," Selina said, "it's the interesting difference between the two of you: you left me alone with out a word and he won't leave me alone at all. He's like a child."

Aleksandr nodded. "That doesn't surprise me. Mother was always soft with him."

"He showed up because he thought that you and I were going to have sex tonight," Selina said. "Isn't that ridiculous?" She burst out laughing.

"It's not that crazy," Aleksandr said.

"Well do you want to?" Selina asked.

"I don't know," Aleksandr said. "I don't think so."

"Don't you still want to teach Klaus a lesson though?" Selina asked.

"Wait," Aleksandr said. "What if we just made him _think_ we had sex?"

"What do you mean?" Selina asked.

"Just follow me," Aleksandr said.

* * *

><p>Klaus was alone in their bedroom when the door suddenly flew open. He looked up. Selina stood on the other side. Her balance seemed off. "Hi," she grinned.<p>

Klaus looked at he clock. "It's late," he said. "What have you been up to?"

Selina shrugged. "Nothing." She stumbled toward the bed. "Hey," she said, leaning in until they were almost nose to nose. "Can we play that game where we take off each other's clothes and then see how long it takes to make the other scream first?"

"You mean sex?" He asked.

"Yeah," she nodded. "Sex." She burst out giggling.

"Have you been drinking?" he asked.

"Um," she nodded. "Maybe just a l'il. But it's really all your fault. If you hadn't shown up tonight, I'd be perfectly okay."

"What do you mean?" Klaus asked. He'd frozen.

"Well, after you and Adrian left, I was so mad that Aleksandr took me out drinking to calm down. And then we went back to his house and we..."

"You didn't!" Klaus said, grabbing her by the shoulders.

"If it makes you feel any better," Selina said, "you're really much better than he is."

"Well thanks," Klaus said moodily.

"Come on," Selina said, kissing his neck. "What are you so upset about?" She began undoing his buttons again, then peeled his shirt away and unzipped him, gasping. "No wonder," she said, running a finger down him. "You're so much bigger than he is."

He was breathing hard now, trying to keep the frown on his face. She planted kisses down his shaft. "Are you mad at me?" She asked.

"I was, I think," he said. "But you wrecked it."

She leaned forward and kissed him deeply as he pulled her shirt off her. "As you always tell me when I'm mad at you, what's the point to being angry when you can be happy?"

After he'd finally fallen asleep, she grinned. Man, she'd really wormed her way out of that one. Aleksandr was right. A few lines and a little rum in the right places went a long way.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Aleksandr got a phone call. "Hello?" he said.<p>

"Have you seen her yet?" Asked the sharp voice on the other end of the line.

Aleksandr cleared his throat. "Yes, Father. I have."

"And the boy?"

Aleksandr nodded. "I definitely saw the boy."

"Remember," his father said, "We must do everything we can to get our hands on her and the boy."

Suddenly it sounded as if the phone was taken away.

"Remember what'll happen to you if we don't see them soon," a new female voice spoke. "I could always make little adjustments to my formula that wouldn't make you as invincible as you are now. And we wouldn't want that, now would we?"

"No, ma'am," Aleksandr said quickly. "I'll bring them to you."


	23. Up in Flames

Alistair had just come back from the grocery store and was making his way into the house when Astrid met him at the door. "What is it?" He asked.

"Come have a look at the news," she said. "There's something you'll want to see." She looked troubled.

"What's the matter?" He asked, putting the grocery bags down on the counter and following her into the living room. She sat down on the sofa and turned the television to the news. The anchorman, wearing a bad toupee and a troubled expression, read about a fire that had happened at the school the night before.

"...The school building was completely burned to the ground, presumably by same people who police believe killed the firefighters and night custodian found inside. Police would not say how the victims were killed, only that their deaths were slow and painful." They showed footage of one of the bodies being wheeled out. He was covered in blood.

"Oh, my god," Astrid shut her eyes and put her face against Alistair's shoulder. "Why would they do something like this?" She asked.

" 'They'?" Alistair said.

"Well look at the amount of blood covering the guy they wheeled out," Astrid said. "Don't you think there's a possibility Klaus and Selina had something to do with this?"

"Klaus, yes, I can believe that." Alistair nodded. "But Selina, she wouldn't hurt a fly, much less a man. I don't think, anyway."

"Go ask," Astrid said. "Would you?"

Alistair nodded. "Yes, I think I'd better."

Just as he was leaving, Helene came into the living room, still dressed in her pink ruffled night gown, rubbing her eyes and clutching her blanket. "Why didn't you wake me up for school, Mommy?" She asked Astrid.

"You won't be going to school for awhile, honey," Astrid told her. "There was a fire and it burned down."

"Oh," Helene nodded.

"Go get dressed," Astrid said. "After you eat breakfast, we'll do what we can about lessons for you."

* * *

><p>Alistair knocked furiously on the front door of Klaus and Selina's house. Finally, Selina answered the door. "Hey," she said. "What's up?"<p>

"'What's up'?" Alistair asked. "After what you did last night, all you can do now is look at me and ask me 'what's up?'"

"It was just a question," Selina said as she led him inside. "Cause I mean, you hardly ever stop by anymore. What do we owe the pleasure?"

"Did you kill everyone inside the schoolhouse and then burn it down?" Alistair asked once they were both sitting in the living room.

"Technically," Selina said, "We set the schoolhouse on fire first, and then the janitors and firefighters showed up, and since they were interrupting fun time, they had to be disposed of."

" 'Fun time'?" Alistair repeated. He was beginning to feel ill.

"Yes," Selina nodded. "Are you going to repeat everything I say?"

"Hello, Alistair, what brings you here?"

Alistair turned and saw Klaus standing at the edge of the living room with his hand on the wall.

"He just came to ask about the schoolhouse," Selina said. "Apparently he's concerned. He doesn't think we should have done it." She pulled a cigarette from her pocket and lit it, inhaling deeply.

"What the hell did you do to her?" Alistair asked.

"I didn't do anything," Klaus said, coming to sit next to her. "What happened at the schoolhouse was all her idea."

"It was?" Alistair asked, looking at Selina who had her black hair pulled back in braids with her bangs hanging in her eyes. "Why?" He asked her. "You're the good one. Why would you _do_ something like burning down a schoolhouse?"

"It's a little hard to explain," Selina said. "But I guess the simplest answer would be, that beginning last night, I realized that I'd had enough."

"She'd been at a meeting for school," Klaus said. "And when she came back, she wasn't very happy..."

* * *

><p>Klaus was just about to undress and shower when he heard noise in the bedroom. He opened the door and saw Selina standing on the other side of the bedroom door, breathing heavily. When she saw him, she strode toward him.<br>"I need something from you," she whispered, her eyes locked on him.  
>"I agree," he said. "I was just about to shower, but now that you're here, you can come in with me and we can..."<br>"No," Selina shook her head. "Not that. Something else."  
>"Well what else is there?" Klaus asked. "And where have you been? It's late."<br>"I don't want to talk about where I've been, all right?" Selina said. "It was cruel and unusual punishment. That's what it was. It makes me so mad that I just wanna..." She began punching holes in the bedroom wall.  
>"What happened?" Klaus asked.<br>"One of those stupid moms from the PTA suckered me into attending a baby shower that they had and it was just the most unbearable hell I've ever been in," she fumed. "It reminded me of when I was a girl and my mother would drag me to the tea parties she and the other ladies held to discuss things to do to aid in the war. And as you know, nothing makes me madder than thinking about my childhood."  
>"Yes," he nodded. "This is true. But you know I'd be more than happy to calm you down..."<br>She shook her head. "I don't want to be calmed down! I need to feed off of you so I can go out and cause horrible, wanton destruction."  
>He picked her up and took her to the bed. "You have no idea how much I want you right now."<br>"Actually," she sat up. "I do. But there's no time for that now. I have things to do. Would you like to come with me? I was thinking of starting down at the school. Torching it, maybe."  
>"That's a good start," Klaus said.<br>Selina looked at him. "Is Adrian asleep yet? We should bring him. We really need to do more things as a family."

"Probably not," Klaus said. "He always says he's going to go to sleep and he never does. Do you want me to go and get him?"

"Not yet," Selina said. "We still have to do something before we go."

"I don't think you need it, honestly," he said. "You seem angry enough already."

"Wow," Selina said. "I didn't think you'd pass up a chance to have me suck on you. You think you know a person." She turned away and started walking toward the door when he put a hand on her shoulder. "Wait a minute," he said.

She turned. "Yes?"

He pulled of his shirt and got on the bed. "Get the knife out of the dresser drawer," he said.

"All right," she dug around in the dresser drawer until she felt the handle, then pulled out a knife with a three inch blade. "Here," she said, getting on the bed and straddling him. "Go ahead and do it."

Still watching her, he made a cut across his chest with the knife. Selina watched, hissing as blood trickled out of the wound. She watched it drip down his chest and slowly licked it off and sucked the rest off the cut.

"Please say your finished now," Klaus said when she was done.

"Yes," She nodded. "I think that'll be enough for now. What's the matter with you?"

"Nothing," he said. "I just think that if we stay like this any longer,_ things_ could happen."

She kissed him. "Things _will_ happen," she said. "Just be patient. What I have planned will be a lot more fun than anything we could do in _here_." She grinned. "Do you trust me?"

"Yes," he nodded.

"Good." She got off him. "Would you go get Adrian? I'll meet you two at the car."

* * *

><p>Klaus opened Adrian's door. "I know you aren't asleep yet," he said.<p>

"Yeah," Adrian sat up. "What's going on?"

Klaus came and sat next to him on the bed. "Mommy says she wants to cause destruction. Want to come with us?"

"Sure!" Adrian's eyes lit up and he bounded out of bed. He saw the clock on the wall. "Does Mommy know it's past my bedtime?" He asked.

"Does it matter?" Klaus replied.

"No," Adrian shook his head. He dressed and followed Klaus out to the car.

* * *

><p>"Are you two ready?" Selina asked. She was sitting eagerly in the driver's seat of Klaus' car.<p>

"Are you all right, Mommy?" Adrian asked.

"Yes," Selina nodded. "I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?"

"He's a little concerned about being out past his bedtime," Klaus said.

Selina turned around to look at Adrian. "Oh, please," she said, blowing a raspberry. "You're only young once. Learn to live a little. If you don't, you'll turn into a straight-laced, neurotic mess and _nobody_ likes them." She turned back to face ahead and smiled at the review mirror. "Fasten your seatbelts boys," she said. "You're in for a wild ride." Then she put her foot on the accelorator and gunned it down the street, laughing joyfully. "Lucky for me there aren't a lot of people out at this time of night, right?"

"Mommy," Adrian yelled, "are you drunk?"

"No," Klaus whispered. "She's just angry."

"Does she always do this when she's angry?" Adrian asked.

"Yes," Klaus nodded. "Great, isn't it?"

They made it to the school in record time. Selina parked, stopping so fast that Adrian's head hit the back of Selina's seat. When he got out, he was rubbing it. "Did I hit you?" Selina asked.

"Just a little," Adrian said. "How are we going to get in there?"

"I'll take care of that," Selina said. "You two get the gasoline and the matches out of the trunk." Without waiting to see if they'd do as she asked, she strode toward the school, breaking the locks of the front door and striding inside. Everything was dark, and silent. She stood on the other side of the door and waited for Klaus and Adrian to get in. "What do you want us to do with all this?" Adrian asked.

Selina took a piece of paper out of her pocket and handed it to him. "Dump gasoline in all the places on that list. Then come and get me so I can light it all up."

"Why can't _I _light it up?" Adrian whined.

"Because you're too young to be playing with matches, that's why." Selina said.

"I think she just wants to be the one to have all the fun," Adrian said, rolling his eyes at Klaus. But they took the gas cans and dumped them where she'd specified. Then, she lit matches and dropped them everywhere. Pretty soon, the school was lit up.

"What are we going to do now?" Adrian asked.

"That's the beauty of it," Selina said. "We can do whatever the hell we want. It's not like there's anyone around to stop us."

Adrian grinned and sprinted down one hallway while Klaus and Selina went down another. They found an empty classroom. "So," Klaus said. "You said things were going to happen tonight?"

"Yeah, I did," Selina nodded. "I have a game in mind."

"What sort of game?" Klaus asked.

"Well," Selina said, "I'm the teacher, you're the studly captain of the football team." She pushed him down into a desk chair and then went to stand at the chalkboard. She pulled off her jacket and unzipped her jeans, reavealing a tight white button-down shirt and a leather mini. She threw the coat aside and kicked her jeans behind the desk. Then, she picked up the chalk and continued talking, her hips swaying as she wrote. "One day, you realize that there are parts of me you find irresistible. When I write things on the board, you just can't look away."

"That shouldn't be too hard to imagine." Klaus said. He was licking his lips already.

She wrote a list of subjects on the board. "Hm," she said. "What should I teach you today? Languages? Who cares, all the popular places speak English anyway. Math? Ugh, hell no. History. There's an interesting idea. We should keep that, because those that don't learn from history are doom to repeat it." She turned and grinned at him, giving him a wink.

"Yes," Klaus nodded, standing up from his chair and advancing toward her. "Like how you and I have been in this situation several times. Have we learned a thing from it?"

Selina got up on the desk and grinned, sitting on her feet. "Only that we like it."

"So, Miss Warren," Klaus said. "After class, would you want to meet me under the bleachers?"

"It depends," she said. "Why are you asking me?"

He picked her up and laid her down behind the desk, unbuttoning her shirt. "It would really help my game," he said, kissing down her neck and chest.

"Well," she breathed heavily. "I've always considered myself an athletic supporter." She brought her lips down to his, unzipping him and he peeled off her skirt, entering her slowly. While flames exploded all around them, they stayed locked in one another's arms.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Adrian had found one of the classrooms used for teaching science and snuck inside. He looked in the cage that had the class gerbil in it, then he reached inside and grabbed it around it's midsection, pulling it out of the cage. As it squirmed, he squeezed it. It squealed until it became still. He threw it in the trash. He found containers of chemicals and poured several of them into a large bottle. After the mixture exploded and the smoke cleared, he grabbed the net for the fish tank, pulled out all the fish and put them in the bottle, watching as they struggled to swim and then died, slowly floating to the top of the bottle. then he dumped the mixture down the sink.<p>

Suddenly, he heard a voice in the doorway. "Hey, kid," it said. "What are you doing? No one is supposed to be in here." He looked up to see a janitor, sooty and terrified, staring into the room. "Yes, I am," Adrian said, coming toward him.

"No," the janitor came into the room. When he put a hand on Adrian's arm to pull him out, Adrian hissed and pounced, ripping out the man's throat and nearly sucking him dry. Then, he heard the fire sirens. He got up off the janitor's body and ran to find his parents.

He knocked on every door until finally he heard his mother call "Just a minute." She opened the door. She was wearing one of Daddy's shirts. "What's the matter?"

"The firemen are coming," Adrian said. "Can't you hear it?"

Selina rolled her eyes. "Oh, damn." She turned away from the door and went over to the desk. "Firemen are coming, dear," she said to Klaus. He sat up and put on his pants. "We'll be waiting for them when they get here," he said, standing up.

A few minutes later, they heard voices in the hall.

"Is that the firemen?" Adrian asked.

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "Go take the first crack at them."

Adrian shook his head. "I already ate the janitor because he tried to hurt me."

"All right," Selina nodded. She looked at Klaus. "Let's go," she said.

She and Klaus left the room and made quick work of the firefighters, then Selina grabbed Adrian and they all went back to the car. "Beautiful, isn't it?" Selina asked, as they watched the flames leap to and fro.

"Yes," Klaus nodded. "Do you feel better now?"

"Definitely," Selina nodded.

"Can we go home?" Adrian yawned. "I'm tired."

Selina started up the car. They got home, tucked Adrian into bed, and then went to bed themselves.

* * *

><p>"And that's what really happened?" Alistair asked.<p>

"Yes," Selina said. "That's what really happened."


	24. Spirited Away

"That's just unconscionable," Alistair was shaking. "It's bad enough for the two of you to go about doing things like that, but you're adults so your actions are your own responsibility, but to drag Adrian into a situation where he can kill as well? It's unbelievable."

"Really?" Selina asked. "I would have thought you'd expect as much of us by now. Since you seem to think we're so dissolute and all."

"You don't handle a bad day by killing people," Alistair said through his teeth. "You talk through it. You work through it. Take a bubble bath, spend time in bed, even. But killing people just for sport is wrong and you know it."

"You only say that because you're prey, Alistair." Klaus said. "We can do whatever we want. Who's going to stop us?"

"I will," Alistair said quietly. "You aren't going to kill again. I'll make sure of that."

Selina burst out laughing. "You're such a killjoy, Alistair," she said. "What's the point of accepting my werewolf nature if I don't give in to it every once in awhile? If I wanted to be restrained and living like a good girl, I would have stayed at my mother's house. Besides, no one even knows it was us, anyway. So it's not a problem."

"I know it was you," Alistair said.

Selina shrugged. "So?"

Alistair's eyes narrowed. "Aren't you aware of what kind of an example you're setting?" He asked. "Don't you care at all?"

"Yes," Selina nodded. "I do, most of the time, and I will make sure that Adrian doesn't go overboard, but right now I'm just not in the mood to be moral."

"Well you better get in the mood soon," Alistair warned. "I don't want to turn on the television again and see the two of you causing any more trouble. Do you understand me?"

Klaus scoffed. "Oh, go bother somebody else, Alistair."

Alistair rolled his eyes and left the house. He'd tried. That was all he could do.

* * *

><p>"So what did they say?" Astrid asked. "Can I surmise from the look on your face that it was too much to get an ounce of regret out of them?"<p>

"Of course," Alistair nodded. "I would have thought Selina at least would feel a little remorse for what she did."

"In a weird way," Astrid said carefully, "I empathize with her. She had to be good her whole life. Live by her mother's morals, which would be difficult for any normal girl to maintain as long as Selina did, so can you blame her for wanting to go a little wild every once in awhile?"

"Of course not," Alistair said. "That need is there in all of us. But most people get their thrills out of smashing hotel windows and dancing to loud, inappropriately worded rock songs rather than killing people and setting things on fire."

"Well," Astrid said, running her fingers through Alistair's hair, "most people aren't vampires, are they? This was just one incident, all right? Selina will get back to normal and be marshalling the other two in no time."

Alistair nodded. "I hope you're right."

* * *

><p>Two nights later, Selina got home picking Adrian up from soccer practice and strode into her bedroom, undressing to get ready for a shower. It had rained and she was soaked. She threw her clothes in the hamper and, just clad in her bra and panties, went into the bathroom, where Klaus was standing at the sink. Selina groaned. "Damn," she said. "You're wearing pants."<p>

He turned to look at her, the toothbrush still in his in his mouth. He took it out and set it next to the sink. "Well," he said, coming toward her. "If that upsets you, I'd be happy to let you remove them."

She came to meet him and put her arms around his neck. "Actually," she said, "I was just going to mention how buff and well-endowed you're looking this evening, but you and I both know that you don't need anyone to tell you that," she looked down. "And since I can't see anything anyway, it can wait." She turned away from him and just as she reached the bathroom door, she turned and winked at him over her shoulder.

"Just a minute now," he said, grabbing her arm and pulling her back so he could take her in his arms again. Then, he turned her so they were both facing the bathroom mirror and put his arms around her waist.

"Look at us," she breathed.

"Aren't we fabulous?" He whispered.

She swallowed. "I don't know." Her laugh was dry. "You know," she said, "if you put both of our basic personalities on pieces of paper and then placed them next to one another, the thought of us being together would be laughable."

"Why?" Klaus asked, running his hands over her stomach.

"Well, just think about it," she said. "I'm a self-righteous neurotic with no self esteem and you're a hedonistic, narcissistic man-child. Not exactly the most obvious pair for a match."

"Well I think you're wrong," he said, picking her up and carrying her to their bed. "If I were a _devious_ narcissistic, hedonistic man-child, then a self-righteous neurotic with no self-esteem would be _exactly_ the type of woman I would go for: you'd be so desperate for affection and approval that you'd do whatever I asked you to just so I wouldn't abandon you like every other man in your life."

"Please," Selina scoffed. "I'm not _that_ desperate."

"Really?" He asked. His eyebrow rose. "Prove it."

"All right," she nodded, pulling her to him. They began to kiss, but just as he was easing down her panties, they heard a knock on their bedroom door. "Can I come in?" Adrian called. "Or are you two having sex in there?"

"We're thinking about it," Selina called. "But I suppose it can wait. What do you need?" They had just managed to separate when Adrian strode in. "Babies come from sex, right? Are you two going to have another baby?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "Where did you get an idea like that?"

Adrian shrugged. "Grandma says you're going to have another baby."

"Did she?" Selina asked.

Adrian nodded. "Uh-huh."

Selina saw the time on the clock next to the bed and gasped. "Oh, look at the time! I have a dinner date in twenty minutes! I need to get dressed!"

"Where is this dinner date?" Klaus asked. "You never mentioned it before now."

"It's nothing, just a little meeting with Aleksandr," Selina said, heading into the closet. Adrian managed to go in after her before she shut the door.

Adrian watched as she began picking out dresses and looking at herself in the mirror. Finally, she decided on a knee-length light blue off the shoulder number. "What do you think?" She asked, looking at Adrian.

"I don't think you should wear that one," Adrian said seriously. "It makes you look fat."

"What?" Selina's eyes widened. "What's the matter with you? If there's one thing that you should know, it's never to say to a woman that a dress makes her look fat. Besides," Selina said, "I happen to know you're wrong. Your father loves it when I wear this dress. In fact, I might have even worn it the night you were conceived. So there." She stepped out of the closet and came face to face with Klaus. "If that's the case," he said, "Then why are you wearing it to go meet with my brother? Why even go out with him at all?"

"You aren't going to do this," Selina said. "I've already made my decision and there's nothing you can do to stop me from going."

"Technically I can compel you not to go," Klaus said, keeping his eyes on her.

"What?" Selina scoffed. "No you can't."

"I can," Klaus nodded. "I'm an Original. I can do whatever I want."

"You wouldn't compel me," Selina said. "The last time you tried, you regretted it."

"That's true," Klaus nodded, while leading her out of the bedroom and into the living room. "You're much more exciting when you're in your own mind."

"So what's the point of all this?" Selina asked. "Why are you making such a big fuss about me going out with your brother? I don't even like him anymore."

"I'm just curious as to why you'd want to have dinner with someone who promised to love you for all of eternity and then cruelly and heartlessly abandoned you," Klaus said.

Selina nodded. "It _was _bad. Afterwards, I was so shocked, I didn't go near a man for forty years."

Klaus' eyes widened. "Oh, that's rough."

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "It was."

He put a hand under her chin so that she was looking into his eyes. "Then why put yourself through it all again?" He asked. "If you don't go tonight, then you're essentially giving him a taste of his own medicine, aren't you?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "You're right!" Her face relaxed into a grin. "So, if we drop Adrian off at Alistair's first, what do you want to do tonight? Have sex, kill someone, or have sex _and_ kill someone?"

He took her in his arms. "Those are fabulous options," he said. "Why do just one when weAlek can do both?"

* * *

><p>Aleksandr strode up to the front door of Klaus and Selina's house and knocked furiously on the front door, but no one answered. Finally, he forced his way in. Things were quiet, but he heard faint sounds coming from a room down the hall. He decided to follow them. He opened the door to one of the rooms, a bedroom, then gasped. "Oh, my god," he said.<p>

"What?" Klaus asked. He eased himself out of Selina and then turned onto his back with his hands behind his head, grinning at his brother, who stood flabbergasted at the foot of the bed. "Fancy seeing you here, Aleksandr," he remarked.

Aleksandr looked furiously at Selina. "We had a meeting tonight," he told her. "Did you forget?"

"Hmmm..." Selina said. "I must have. Isn't it horrible to have someone promise to be there for you and then they abandon you without a word?"

Aleksandr rolled his eyes. "You aren't still holding _that_ over my head, are you? That was _years_ ago. You should be over it by now."

"I don't believe you," Selina said after a moment of stupefied silence. "You son of a bitch, how can you talk to me like that?"

"Don't overdramatize," Aleksandr said.

"I don't think she's overdramatizing anything," Klaus told him. "How you could abandon this sweet, loveably neurotic mess is just a puzzle to me. Oh, well. Your loss is my gain. Goodbye now."

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "You'll go now. And don't ever come back, either!"

Aleksandr just rolled his eyes and strode out of the room.

"We sure showed him," Selina said. "It's quite possible that him leaving was the best thing that could have ever happened to me."

"Well of course," Klaus nodded and kissed her hair. "If he hadn't, you never would have gotten with me. Well," he amended, "at least not _right_ away. I would have waited a couple of days as a courtesy before luring you into my bed."

"Oh?" Selina said. "How can you be so sure I would have come?"

"Oh, please," Klaus laughed. "you always do."

* * *

><p>Aleksandr growled and ran his fingers through his hair. He'd have to play hardball now. How wonderful. He'd actually secretly hoped it would come to that. He left the house and wandered around outside until he found the little boy and girl playing in the yard.<p>

"Hello, Adrian," Aleksandr said. Adrian looked up at him. "I'm not supposed to talk to you," he said quietly.

"Why not?" Aleksandr asked.

"'Cause Mommy and Daddy don't like you," Adrian said matter-of-factly.

"Well," Aleksandr said carefully, "I was just thinking about going to get some ice cream. Would the two of you like to come with?"

Adrian eyed him suspiciously for a moment. "No," he said at last. "We're good."

It was then that Aleksandr had had enough. He grabbed Adrian and dragged him kicking, screaming and biting to his car, throwing him in the backseat, wincing as he sat in front. Technically, he'd failed the mission his father had given him. He was supposed to have brought Selina to the hideout tonight. But Adrian was still young; he could be molded into someone that could serve their purpose quite well. Aleksandr started the car. Tonight hadn't been such a disaster after all.


	25. Snafu

Helene watched the man take Adrian away. She realized that it wouldn't be a good idea to run after him, but she had to do something. Once the man's car was out of sight, Helene ran back into the house. She found the phone and dialed her home number. When her mother answered, she muttered, "Come over to Adrian's house right away, Mommy. You and Daddy both. We have a problem."

* * *

><p>Selina rolled off Klaus and took a deep breath. "You know, we should be ashamed of ourselves," she said. "If you counted the hours we spend in our bedroom, the number would be substantial."<p>

"And the problem with that is?" Klaus asked. He got on his knees and positioned himself so that her legs were between them, then put a hand under her chin, bringing her eyes up to meet his. "Never be ashamed of yourself, my lovely," he said.

She shrugged. "I just think that there could be other more productive ways to spend our time. Although based on what Adrian said about your mother, we're being plenty productive right now." She rolled her eyes.

"Exactly," Klaus nodded. "Now where were we? Oh, yes, I remember..." He leaned forward and kissed her. When he pulled back, she sighed. "All right," she said. "But this is absolutely the last time for now. Who knows what we missed out on while we've been in here?"

He grinned. "You always say that."

She put her arms around his neck and they kissed deeply. He slowly pushed into her, making her gasp. She ran her hands over his ab muscles and then he pulled out of the kiss and began nipping at her neck. She giggled. "Bite me," she whispered. He pulled away from her for a moment. He had a devilsh glint in his eye. In what seemed like the same instant, he thrust into her and bit her at the same time. She screamed and clung to him. When he finally let her go, they were both panting heavily. "I can't move," she said at last. "That was just...it's going to be awhile before we do it again."

He kissed her. "Oh, come on, you know you liked it." He began licking the blood off her neck. "I didn't say I didn't like it," she said. "I just think that it takes the most out of me, so we should do it sparingly."

"Okay," he took her in his arms and held her while she got her breath back. She kissed his shoulder. And his lips. He moved her so she was underneath him. "I thought you didn't want to do this anymore," he said.

"I meant the _strenuous _stuff," she said. "Feel free to keep touching all you want."

He ran experienced hands over her body. She moaned with pleasure. She seemed to lose herself, and was pulled out of it rather abruptly by a knock on the bedroom door. "Let us in," a sharp voice ordered. "You better be dressed, too."

Selina blinked. "Did you just hear Alistair?" She asked Klaus.

"Yes," he nodded, putting pants and a shirt on and went to answer the door. "What is it?" He asked. "We're busy."

Alistair rolled his eyes. "Of course you are. You always are. That explains why you have absolutely no idea your son was just captured."

"What?" Selina asked. "Captured by whom?"

"Adrian knew him," Helene piped up. "He said you two didn't like the man."

"Oh, god," Selina ran her fingers through her hair. "Aleksandr. Aleksandr must have taken Adrian. This is all my fault."

"Oh, stop," Klaus said immediately. "Crying and going 'Oh, it's all my fault. Whatever shall we do?' isn't going to solve anything."

Selina frowned. "I _know _that. It's called catharsis. It's a good thing."

"I'm going to go deal with this," Klaus said. He gave Selina a look. "_You_ are going to stay here."

"No," Selina shook her head. "I'm not just going to sit here while my son is in trouble. I'm coming with you."

Klaus shook his head. "No you aren't."

Selina nodded. "Oh, yes I am. In fact, I think I should go alone; because if we ponder the many possible reasons why your brother would want to kidnap Adrian, most of them would have something to do with me. Having you around would only aggrevate the situation."

"What are you talking about?" Klaus said through his teeth.

"Well," Selina said reasonably, "ever since he showed up here, your brother has made no secret about wanting my attention. Correct? So far, I've rebuffed every attempt. Now I bet he's gotten so desperate for me that he's decided the only way I'll be with him is if he jeopardizes Adrian's safety."

"So you're going to give him what he wants?" Astrid asked. "I wouldn't have expected that from you."

"No," Selina shook her head. "I'm not going to give him what he wants. Or at least that's not my intention at the moment. But if worse comes to worse, if me being with Aleksandr is the only way to keep Adrian safe, then that's how it'll have to be."

"No-" Klaus said, but Selina cut him off.

"Besides," she said, "What do the two of you really need me for, anyway? Tell me honestly," she said, looking at Klaus. "If both Adrian and myself were in trouble, who would you save?"

"Well," Klaus said, "since we already know for a fact that Adrian is difficult to kill, he wouldn't need saving. I'd save you because unlike him, you're vulnerable."

Selina scoffed. "I hate that word, vulnerable. I'm going to go now. Goodbye everyone."

She strode out the door before anyone could stop her. They all stood in silence for a moment before someone finally spoke.

"Did you understand a word of that?" Alistair asked.

Klaus nodded. "I understood it of course, but I don't _understand _it. How could she possibly think that I care about Adrian more than her?"

"Maybe because past experience has led her to believe that you place a lot of importance on male bonding," Astrid said. "Maybe she feels that you value Adrian as a continuation of your legacy more than you do her companionship."

He growled. "Out of my way." He left the room and caught Selina by the door. "Why are you doing this?" He asked.

"Because somebody needs to save our son," Selina replied, looking at him like he was an idiot.

"Is that all?" Klaus asked. "Why won't you let me come with you?"

"Because," Selina said, "it would be the easiest way to handle things. Besides, you won't miss me when I'm gone. Yeah, we have sex sure, but anyone can give you that. You can always find somebody else."

She strode up to the doorknob and was about to put her hand on it and open the door when all of a sudden, there was a sharp rapping on the other side. Selina opened the door and gasped. "What are _you_ doing here?" She asked. "We weren't expecting you."

"I know," Elissavetta asked. "But I've noticed that if you know I'm coming ahead of time, you tend not to let me in, so I figure it's best to catch you unawares when I want to visit."

"What brings you here, Mother?" Klaus asked.

"I've come to a decision," Elissavetta said, clearing her throat. "I mentioned it to Adrian and I told him to mention it to you. I've decided that the two of you are going to have another child. Adrian's grown up enough now that you should have recovered from his childhood."

"But now's not really a good time for that," Selina said. "Adrian's gone and we need to..."

"Adrian's gone?" Elissavetta's eyes lit up. "It would seem to me that now would be a perfect time. You two go to your room and don't come out."

"But..." Selina trailed off again as Klaus put a hand in the center of her back and pushed. "You heard her dear," he said. "Let's go to our room."

Feeling helpless, Selina let Klaus march her to their bedroom and shut the door behind them.

* * *

><p>"I can't believe we're doing this," Selina said. "It's horrible. I'm not going to be able to concentrate with terrible visions of Adrian being tortured going through my head."<p>

"He's not being tortured," Klaus said. "What if they just want to meet him and get to know him better?"

"I doubt that," Selina said. "Why would Aleksandr throw Adrian into the back of his car and drive off if all he wanted with him was to get to know him better?"

"You were married to him for ten years," Klaus said. "You know him better than I do."

Selina sighed. "I feel so trapped." She strode over to the door and hit it twice. "Hey," she said, "let us out."

Elissavetta opened the door a crack. "Not until you've done something productive," she said.

"Well you're crazy to force us to have more children," Selina said. "What makes you think that stuff is going to happen just because you're there and you want it?"

Elissavetta came into the room. "Listen dear," she said to Selina, "in the French royal court, as well as royal courts around the world, when an heir to the throne was married, courtiers always sat in on the consummation. That was the law."

"Oh, my god," Selina said. "That's just sick."

"You seem very tightly wound, dear," Elissavetta said. "Perhaps you need this more than you think." She closed the door behind her before Selina could say another word.

"You know," Klaus said as he sat on the floor shuffling a deck of cards, "maybe she's right." He shuffled them one last time and then held them up. "Strip poker?"

"No," Selina said. "I don't think so."

"Come on," Klaus said. "You know you want to."

Selina shook her head. "No I don't. What I _want_ to do is rescue Adrian."

"And you can do that," Klaus said. "But wouldn't it be better for the rescue effort if you were relaxed when you went instead of being so anxious? In the state you're in, you'll probably say something you'll regret later. Plus it would have the added bonus of making Mother happy."

"For the love of god," Selina put her hand on her forehead. "Fine," she said. "One game, but that's it."

"And," Klaus said, dealing the cards out, "if we happen to have sex afterwards, which we most likely will because it's us, then so be it."

"I don't know why we even do this," Selina said. "I mean, after all you always cheat."

"I don't always cheat," Klaus said. "We both cheat. Which reminds me, whose turn is it this time?"

Selina shrugged and crossed her legs. "I don't know."

"All right," Klaus nodded. "Well let's just say it's your turn then."

Selina rolled her eyes. "Of course."

They played their hands but as usual, when Selina was down to her bra and panties, Klaus put his cards down and said he didn't want to play anymore. "I mean," he recanted, "I still want to play, but I don't think we need the cards anymore."

He crawled over to her and, getting on his knees, kissed her. She put her arms around his neck and kissed him back, then he picked her up and carried her to the bed, laying her down so she was looking up at him. "What now?" She asked as she reached up and began unbuttoning his shirt. She pulled it off and then sucked in her breath as she ran her hands over his ab muscles. "You know," she breathed, "I really don't feel bad about this. You're right when you say that Adrian can handle himself. He's already killed before. I completely trust him."

Klaus kissed her. "Stop talking," he said and began undoing his pants.

"Okay," she said when they pulled apart. He removed her bra and ordered her onto her stomach. He began massaging her neck and back, her pleasured moans making him very much aroused. Finally, when she was limp, quiet and nearly asleep, he turned her over.

"You're not tired yet, are you?" he asked.

She shook her head and grinned. "Never," she said. Her voice was soft and breathy. Slowly she pushed herself up on her elbows, bringing her lips to meet his. She put her arms around his neck and then began giggling as he kissed her throat and shoulders. The giggles turned to cries as he thrust into her and she felt release. This happened several times and once it was all over, she fell asleep as her head hit the pillow one last time.

* * *

><p>The next morning, she woke up feeling strangely disoriented. "Hey," she said, tapping Klaus beside her. "Do you think your mother would let me go now? Surely she heard what we did last night, so she knows we're not in here doing nothing."<p>

Klaus opened one eye. "I don't know, go and see." Selina did so and was pleased to find that the door opened. She put on a robe and cleared her throat. "I have to go rescue Adrian today," she said.

He nodded. "I realize that. I still don't understand why I can't come with you."

"Because he's with Aleksandr and if Aleksandr or anyone else from that side sees you, they aren't going to tell us anything or give Adrian up," Selina said shortly.

"Fine," Klaus said, "but if you aren't back by tonight, I'm coming for both of you. Do I make myself clear?"

"Oh, I suppose," Selina said. "But you don't have to worry. I'll just get him and come back."

"Just a minute," Klaus said. Selina turned just in time to watch him slash his wrist. "Take some of this," he said, holding it out.

"No," Selina shook her head. "I don't think so. You know what it does to me. It makes me crazy."

"Better that then have you be caught off guard," Klaus said. Selina stared at his wrist for a moment before taking a healthy swig and a deep breath. "Now go," he said. "Before I change my mind and tie you to the bed."

She dressed quickly and then made her way to the front of the house.

"And just where are you going?" Elissavetta asked.

"I have to leave," Selina said. "I've got things I need to do. Aleksandr kidnapped Adrian yesterday and I'm concerned about what he plans to do with him."

"What?" Elissavetta seemed dumbstruck for a moment. "What do you mean Aleksandr has Adrian?"

"That's what I was trying to tell you yesterday when I said Adrian wasn't here. Now I'm going to go rescue him, so if you don't mind-"

"Wait," Elissavetta said. "Let me come with you."

"What?" Selina turned away from the door. "What did you say?"

"I would like to come with you," Elissavetta said matter-of-factly. "Because let's face it: you alone won't last a day against my husband and the others."

"Which is why," Selina said carefully, "Klaus says he's going to come tomorrow if I don't come back by tonight. I'm not going to be alone."

"Fine," Elissavetta rolled her eyes. "But what you're doing is foolish and you'll regret it."

* * *

><p>It took awhile, but Selina finally found the house where Aleksandr's car sat. She parked hers in the street and then went to knock on the front door. "Open up!" She called. "I know you're in there. I see your car!"<p>

Aleksandr opened the door a second later, dressed in an olive button down shirt and tan slacks. He'd dyed his hair blond again. "Hello," he said. "Glad to see you finally made it. We were expecting you last night."

"I know that," Selina said. "But I got waylaid by your mother. She's really keen to have another grandchild. So what do you want me for? No, don't answer that. I think I know. You took Adrian as leverage so I would come and be with you, didn't you? Well I'm here now, so let him go. And I swear if you've done _anything _hurt him-"

"Then what?" Aleksandr asked, grinning at her and running his fingers through her hair. "What will you do against me? What _can_ you do?"

"I'll think of something," Selina said.

Aleksandr led her to the living room and gestured at a chair, inviting her to sit. "Have you eaten yet today?" He asked. "Can I get you anything?"

"No," Selina sat perched on the edge of the chair. "Just answer my question: did you take Adrian as a way to make me be with you?"

Aleksandr burst out laughing. "My, my don't we have a high opinion of ourselves? It might surprise you, but my original purpose for taking Adrian had absolutely nothing to do with you. It was Father's orders. But now that you're here..." he ran a hand over her thigh and knee and she stiffened. "Don't touch me," she said through her teeth. I know what you're implying and I won't stand for it. I won't be any man's toy."

"Oh, really?" Aleksandr said, cocking an eyebrow. "It seems like that arrangement has been working well for you and Niklaus for quite some time."

"It's not like that at all," Selina said, her voice starting to shake. "What the hell do you know?"

Aleksandr smirked and snapped his fingers. A second later, four burly werewolves surrounded her. Two grabbed her arms, two grabbed her legs, and they hauled her kicking and screaming to the basement, striping her and chaining her to a table. "You like this place?" Aleksandr said, looking around and smiling in satisfaction. "It's where I keep all my toys. Including you."

"Well look who's here?" When she heard the voice, Selina froze. "Vanessa," she said quietly.

"Yes," Vanessa came to stand over her. "It's me." She gave Aleksandr a look. "It's really not polite to to restrain your guests like this," she said. She began muttering words over Selina. "Now untie her," Vanessa said when she was done. Selina was untied, but found to her horror that she couldn't sit up, could barely move at all.

"It's to keep you from running away," Vanessa said.

Selina began screaming. "Adrian! Adrian!"

Then she heard footsteps on the stairs. "What's all the noise?" Adrian asked. "Who's calling me?"

"She is," Aleksandr said, leading him to the table.

"Why?" Adrian asked. "I don't know who she is."


	26. Love and Death

"What do you mean?" Selina asked as she continued her useless straining against the invisible restraints. "Of course you know me. I'm your mother!"  
>Adrian shook his head. "No you're not," he said. He looked at Aleksandr. "Why did you bring her here?"<br>"I brought her here for me," Aleksandr said. "Well, actually, I didn't bring her myself. She came of her own accord, looking for you. But since you don't seem to know her, I'll keep her if that's all right with you."  
>Adrian nodded. "Whatever," he said before leaving the basement.<br>"Such a receptive boy," Vanessa remarked. She looked at Aleksandr. "Your father has done wonders with him and it's only been a day."  
>"Do you still need me to do the thing?" Vanessa asked, giving Aleksandr a look.<br>"What thing?" Selina asked. "Tell me what you're going to do with him!"  
>"Oh, nothing you need to be concerned about," Vanessa said.<br>"Should I come upstairs now?" Aleksandr asked.  
>Vanessa looked at Selina dismissively. "That might be best," she said. "You have things to do and don't need to be distracted."<br>Aleksandr looked at Selina who whimpered. "Don't worry my dear," he said. "I'll be back tonight. I promise you."

* * *

><p>Just after midnight, Selina heard the basement door open. She stiffened as Aleksandr approached. "Good evening, my beautiful darling," he whispered.<br>"How is it that you plan to make love to me if I can't move?" Selina asked. "It won't be half as much enjoyable for you."  
>"Shut your eyes," Aleksandr whispered. Selina did and felt a little tingle at her wrists and ankles. Then, Aleksandr picked her up and carried her to a bed at the far corner of the room and laid her down. She watched him undress, then felt the matress tremble as he got in the bed. But as he climbed on top of her and began kissing her, she stuck her fingers into his eyes.<br>"Damn!" he cried. "What did you do that for?"  
>"I think you know," Selina said sharply. "I really wish you wouldn't ask such stupid questions. I told you I wasn't going to be any man's toy and I meant it."<br>Light blossomed and Selina grinned at the sight of Aleksandr clutching his eye. "I hope that doesn't swell," she said, getting out of the bed and redressing. "I'll be on my way now," she said.  
>He growled. "No you won't," he said, bounding after her and beginning to punch and hit her. But she gave as good as she got and pretty soon, they were both bruised, bleeding and exhaused. "You better go upstairs now," Selina said. "There's nothing down here for you."<br>Glowering, Aleksandr limped up the basement stairs and Selina climbed back into the bed and fell asleep.

* * *

><p>A short while later, Selina's eyes opened. She looked at the basement door and saw that someone was attempting to open it. Surely Aleksandr wouldn't be so stupid as to try again. She put a robe on and went to open the door, gasping when she saw who was on the other side. "Adrian," she whispered.<br>He nodded and sat on the bed. She came to sit next to him, noticing that he had something behind his back. "What's that?" She asked. He pulled it out and she saw that it was a mangy brown teddy bear missing an eye. "I brought this for you Mommy," he said, giving her a kiss. "In case you needed company for falling asleep."  
>"But you know who I am?" Selina asked.<br>"Yes," Adrian nodded. "I was just pretending not to earlier."

Selina sat up. "Why?" She asked. "What would possess you to do that? Adrian, what is going on here?"

He avoided her eyes. "It's nothing," he said. "Don't worry about it."

Selina grabbed his shoulders. "You tell me what's going on!" she said, shaking him a little. "Is something wrong? Have they hurt you? What _thing_ was Vanessa talking about earlier?"

"Nothing," Adrian repeated. "Go to sleep."

"What?" Selina called as he made his way to the basement door. "You can't talk to me like that! Make sure you pack your things because your father said that if I wasn't back with you by tonight, he was going to storm the place tomorrow." When he was gone, she lay back on the bed sighed, and clutched the teddy bear close to her, hoping she'd be able to fall asleep again.

* * *

><p>When she woke up the next morning, it was only because of the racket that was going on upstairs. "God," she moaned. "A person can't get a moment's sleep around here, can they?" She got out of bed and worked the kinks out of her neck before putting a robe on and going to open the basement door. "Do you mind?" She called. "Some of us are trying to sleep!"<p>

A few seconds later, Adrian came down the stairs. "No time for sleeping," he said. "You have to go." He began pushing her toward the stairs. "Wait, stop," she said, resisting him. "What are you doing? We're both going, all right?"

But when she came up the stairs, she came up alone. Klaus and Elijah were waiting for her. "Thank you for coming for me," she said, her voice subdued. "I should have listened to you when you told me not to come here alone. Now let's just go home. I don't really want to be here anymore."

As they reached the door, it began to rain heavily outside. Selina grabbed a black umbrella out of the umbrella stand and took it outside.

"Are you all right?" Elijah asked her. "You seem tense."

"No," Selina said sharply. "I'm fine. There's absolutely nothing wrong with me."

"Where's Adrian?" Klaus added. "Why didn't he come out with you?"

Selina blinked. "What? Who are you talking about?"

"Adrian?" Klaus repeated. "You know, the child you spent all those hours bringing into this world? You never let me forget about that."

Selina shook her head. "Nope, never heard of him. If I had a kid, I think I'd know it, but I don't."

Klaus looked at her, shook his head and then reached into the front seat of the car for his wallet where he kept pictures of both Selina and Adrian. "See?" he said, showing her a picture. "Him? How could you not remember him?"

She stared at the picture for a couple of seconds. Her lip trembled as if she were going to cry, but instead, she frowned and began hitting the windows of the car with the umbrella, shattering them into a million pieces and causing glass shards to fall onto the seat. "That...stupid...kid...how...could...he...do...this...to...meeeee...?" By the time she'd achieved catharsis, all the windows in the car were broken, the hood had a dent in it, and the alarm was going off.

"And I just bought this car too," Elijah said.

Selina had dissolved into tears and cried all the way home.

"What happened?" Klaus asked. "What are you not telling me?"

"What's it going to matter to you?" She asked."You'd just think it was _wonderful_. I'm going out and I may or may not be back, so don't worry about waiting up for me."

She left the house, slamming the door behind her, then got into her car and drove to Enid's. She needed to have a word with her. When she arrived, she took up two parking spaces and strode into the bar. "Hey Pete," she said when she saw him. "Is Enid around? I have to talk to her about something."

Pete sighed. "I bet I know what you want to talk to her about and listen, it's not as bad as you think. It'll do us a lot of good, really."

Selina glared at him. "Would you be saying that if it was your ass she was sending into enemy territory, Pete? I don't think so."

"There's nothing to worry about, honestly," Pete said. "Do you think Enid would have suggested it if there was any chance of harm coming to Adrian? He's perfectly safe."

Selina scoffed. "You don't know that. And neither does she. Something could happen in just a minute. Please, Pete. Let me talk to her. Adrian's practically the only thing I have that keeps me good and I don't want to lose him."

Pete sighed. "All right," he said, pouring her a bourbon. "Drink this and I'll go get her."

Selina gulped it down and spent the rest of the time until Enid appeared kicking her feet against the bar. When Enid saw Selina, her eyes widened for a fraction of a second before smoothing into a more neutral expression. "Hello, dear," she said. "It's been awhile since we've seen you. What have you been doing with yourself lately?"

"Apparently nothing as exciting as what _you've _been doing!" Selina cried, slamming the glass on the floor, causing it to shatter. "How could you do that to me? How could you go behind my back like that? Was it because you knew I'd say no? Why couldn't you have used me instead? Adrian's just a child!"

"You wouldn't have worked," Enid said quietly. "I did what I did because I care about you. You have a way in with Elissavetta's husband's circle of course because of your former relationship with his brother Aleksandr, but it's not healthy and you'd just end up getting hurt. And trust me, do you really want to get hurt anymore after all you've been through?"

"It's not something I enjoy, no," Selina said. "But if you'd put the idea to me and let me know the alternative would be sending Adrian instead, I would have gone."

"Which is exactly why we didn't tell you," Enid said, averting her eyes.

Selina sputtered and stared at her in stunned silence for a second, and then reached over the bar and put her hands around Enid's throat. They both struggled, with Pete trying to pull Selina off and calm her down.

"Stop trying to protect me, Pete," Enid said, throwing Selina off her and sending her flying into a table and some chairs with a loud crash. "It's sweet, but as you can see, I really don't need your help."

Selina coughed and narrowed her eyes. "You stop acting like you're the victim here," she told Enid. "Because you aren't."

"I know," Enid nodded. "You are. I'm only doing what I'm doing to stop you from being victimized again."

Selina struggled to her feet. "How is taking my son away from me preventing me from being a victim?"

"Well you know Adrian can't die," Enid said. "You aren't going to lose him."

"I've been to the house where Aleksandr took him," Selina said shakily. "Vanessa was there, and she spoke of doing something to him. Some sort of ritual, I think."

"Knowing Vanessa, it's probably just a spell to keep him from becoming a werewolf ever. And I already took care of that, so nothing will happen when they try," Enid said. She put her hands on Selina's shoulders. "Now I think you should go home, have a cup of tea and rest. You've had a nasty shock, I know, and I accept complete responsibility for it. And if you need anything else from me, don't hesitate to stop by."

Finally realizing that any more fighting would be useless, Selina sighed and left the bar.

* * *

><p>Selina left the bar and went to the park. She sat down on a bench near the duck pond and began tearing apart a kleenex that she had in her purse. She was sobbing, her breath coming in short gasps. She blinked and dabbed at her eyes, shutting them and trying to calm herself. Suddenly, she felt something in her lap. She looked down. It was a single red rose. She looked up and saw Klaus standing over her. "What are you doing here?" She sniffled.<br>"I just thought I'd come looking for you," he said. "We only have a few hours left and a lot of celebrating to do."  
>"Celebrating?" Selina frowned. "What are you talking about?"<br>"Well," he said, putting his arm around her shoulders, "I'll give you a hint: Seven years ago today, I amazed everyone with my spectacular karaoke skills and you and I, thanks to my mother, realized that we were going to be stuck with each other for the rest of our existences."  
>Selina gasped. "Oh, my god. It's our anniversary, I completely forgot!" She stood up. "I'll go get you something. What do you want?"<br>He just grinned, picked her up and carried her to the car. "I think you know," he said.

She rolled her eyes as he set her down in the backseat. "Doing it in the car isn't very romantic, you know. The car is where we do it when we haven't seen each other all day and we know we'll just explode if we don't touch each other right that second."

"We're not doing it in the car," Klaus said, turning the engine on. "I would think you'd know that I have more class than that."

"Then where are we doing it?" She asked. "Because I know we're doing it somewhere."

He grinned. "Those deductive skills of yours are fantastic," he said. "Shut your eyes and don't open them until I tell you."

"This is a surprise?" Selina asked. "You know how I feel about surprises, especially coming from you."

"Will you just trust me?" He asked. "By the way, just out of curiosity, are you wearing something I've never seen before, or is it a repeat?"

"You mean did I go out and buy sexy new underwear even though I completely forgot it was our anniversary?" Selina asked. "Well you'll just have to see, now won't you?"

Selina closed her eyes and felt the car begin to move. They drove for quite some time before she finally felt it stop. "Can I open my eyes now?" She asked.

"No," Klaus said. "You stay here. I have to do something really quick and I'll be back for you in a second."

"And I can't open my eyes _once?_" she called after him. But he didn't reply. She sighed and lay her head back against the seat. This would be interesting.

He returned a little while later and opened the car door. "Can I open-"

"No," he cut her off and then picked her up, carrying her down a sidewalk and up a flight of stairs. "Grab on to my neck," he instructed her. "I don't want you to fall when I open the door."

She held onto him, her eyes still closed. He opened the door, and Selina immediately felt a rush off cool air go over her skin. "Feels nice in here," she said. Then she felt herself being plopped down on a bed. "Can I open my eyes _now_?" she asked.

"Go ahead," he said.

She opened her eyes and was met with an almost cavernous space. The walls were painted burnished gold, the carpets were Oriental with red and gold detail, and the setting sun shown dimly through the half open blinds. The entire room seemed to glow. "Where are we?" She asked.

"Just a little hideaway I found," he said. "Like it?"

She giggled. "Yeah, I think I do. You've done well."

He grinned at her. "I think I would like to unwrap my present now," he said.

She leaned forward and kissed him. "Take your time," she said. "But first..." She pulled off his shirt. "Just thought I'd get that out of the way," she said. "If I leave it up to you, it never gets done."

He grinned and kissed her back as he pulled her shirt over her head and threw it on the floor. She kicked her shoes off and they landed beside the bed. She took a deep breath, blowing it out slowly. "It's good it's so cool in here," she said. "We're going to be glad for that soon, I have a feeling."

"Hips up," he ordered. She pulled herself up into a bridge and wiggled out of her jeans. He stared at her, breathing heavily and running his hands over her stomach. "The moment of truth," she whispered.

"I love this part," he whispered back.

She moaned as he ran kisses down her neck and upper torso and removed her bra, running his hands over her breasts and squeezing her nipples, sending shocks of sweet pain shooting through her body. She growled. "What?" He grinned and ran his tongue around the inside of her belly button as she strained against him.

He put his fingers just inside her panties, running them lightly over the skin of her inner thigh, making her shiver and moan. "What do you want?" He asked her slyly, his fingers nearing her folds. "Tell me what you want."

She was feeling as if she was going to explode. "Come inside me," she said quickly. "I need you now." She brought her hips up again and slowly wiggled out of her panties, opening herself up to him. He felt his length straining against his zipper, desperate to be joined with her as she wanted.

He watched her for a little while longer. Her hands reached out and brushed over his ab muscles. She whimpered again, her bottom lip jutting out in the most adorable pout. He leaned forward to kiss her, just as she brought her hand forward to unzip him. As his length sprang free, she ran her fingers lightly over it. He sucked in a breath. Then he thrust into her, finally making her scream, their instantaneous releases shaking the both of them. By the time it was all over, they were clutching each other, and her head was on his shoulder.

"Are you all right?" He asked her.

"Better than I was," she said. "Much better."

"Can I ask," he said, "Why I found you crying in the park?"

Selina shook her head. "Let's not. It'll just ruin this." She sighed contentedly. "It's nothing really, just something to do with Adrian. Do you know what she had the nerve to suggest?"

"That Adrian be sent over to Aleksadr's to find a way to bring down the vampires?" Klaus guessed.

"How did you know?" Selina asked, pulling away from him.

"Enid asked me if it would be all right when she first got the idea," Klaus said quietly. "She originally wanted to send you because Adrian's just a child, but I wouldn't let her."

Selina frowned. "And why not? I could have handled it."

"Look," he said sharply. "I have my reasons."

She scoffed. "Of course you do! You just don't want to lose a toy. That's your reason."

"I can't believe you're upset about this!" He said. "You're always saying how you think you have no value to me, but when it comes to choosing whether you or Adrian get sent on a dangerous mission and I pick you to stay with me, doesn't that count for anything?"

"How could you wait until now to tell me this?" She asked. "Are you _trying_ to piss me off on purpose? Because you're doing a very good job!" She climbed out of bed and dressed.

"Running away again?" He asked dryly. "Don't you want to talk about this?" He got out of bed and came toward her.

Selina shook her head. "No," she said. "And if you touch me, I can't be held responsible for what I'm going to do."

Shaking his head, he pulled her to him and kissed her roughly, rubbing her until she could barely stand up. Then, he cut his wrist and let some of it drip into her mouth. When she swallowed, he grinned. "Go now," he said. "Cause terror, panic, chaos. Remember what it feels like to kill."

"Why are you doing this to me?" She asked.

"Consider it the other part of my present," he said. He kissed her again, spanked her, and shoved her out the door.

* * *

><p>On her own, she wandered around the resort. It was mostly quiet outside except for the crickets. She wondered where everyone was. Suddenly, she heard noise coming from one of the lodges. A sign next it said "Knapp-Collins wedding, 7 PM." She went toward the building. The door was open, so she walked inside and approached a woman sitting at a table, sorting out nametags. "Are you with the bride or the groom?" She asked chirpily.<p>

"Neither," Selina said sharply and plunged her fangs into the woman's neck, sucking her dry. Afterwards, she let her flop back into her chair and advanced into the building. She found a door and knocked on it. "Come in," a voice called. Selina opened the door and stepped inside.

"Oh, you're here!" A woman exclaimed. "Thank you so much for agreeing to do this. I'm terrible with doing my own hair." The woman grinned at her. Selina assumed that this was the bride. She was already in her dress and everything was done except for her hair. The dress was exactly the kind Selina would have worn for her wedding if it had been her choice: a short, ivory gown with off the shoulder sleeves and a layer of lace over the knee-length skirt.

"Hello?" The bride said. "Are you there?"

"Oh, yes," Selina nodded, turning back to her. "Listen, I really love your dress."

"Thank you," The bride grinned. "I ordered it special."

"Wouldn't mind letting me have it, would you?"

"No," the bride shook her head. "Are you crazy?"

Selina made a move for the dress. They tussled. Selina got scratched in the face, drawing blood from her cheek. "That wasn't smart," she whispered, ripping out the bride's throat. Once she was dead, Selina removed the dress and put it on herself, disregarding the fact that it was spattered in blood. She then went out to the man room and made work of the guests, picking them off one by one and giving chase to kill those who tried to run. By the time everyone was dead, blood was everywhere, and she was full to bursting. She looked at herself in the mirror. "Til death do us part," she whispered. Then, she saw a flash of movement behind her, felt hands go around her waist.

"Feeling better?" Klaus asked as he kissed her neck.

"Mmmmm." She moaned as he reached under her skirt. "I kept the priest alive," she gasped. "If we wanted to renew our vows without your mother." She gasped again and turned to face him, kissing him desperately. They went out to the gazebo and made love again, and afterwards, when she looked up at him, she whispered, "do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

And just before he flicked his tongue inside her and splintered her whole world, he whispered, "I do."


	27. Not So Establishment

Selina woke up, squinting from the strong light that was coming through the window of the gazebo. She sat up slowly, trying to work the kinks out of her stiff joints. Sighing, she said, "And here we are again, of course." Her neck was sore, but that wasn't a surprise. She knew she'd been on a blood rush the night before and in that case, she always did the strangest things. Spent those evenings bent in the strangest ways. She looked beside her and rolled her eyes. Of course he was asleep. But it was strange, she hardly ever woke up before he did. She stood up and took a deep breath, pacing around the gazebo. She was staring out the window at the sunrise when she heard him moan and shift, so that the tarp they'd used as a makeshift blaket showed a corner of his bare hip. Her eyes were drawn to it. Despite the fact that the hard ground was hell on her knees, she got down and crawled back to him, peering under the tarp, breathing deeply. Stroking him. He opened one eye and grinned at her. "See anything you like?" He asked.

She nodded. "I think you know the answer to that," she said. "Otherwise I wouldn't be naked with you in a gazebo under a tarp, now would I?" She found the bloodied wedding dress crumpled in a corner and pulled it over her head. "Would you zip me up?" She asked him.

He groaned. "I suppose," he said, running his hands over her back instead. "But really, you look so much better without clothes anyway."

She turned around and looked him over. "So do you," she said. "But we can't very well traipse back to the villa naked now can we?"

"What's the point of dressing when we both know we're just going to be taking it all off anyway when we get back?" He asked.

"It's called decency," she said. "Learn to live with it."

He rolled his eyes. "Are you curious about this?" He asked, running a finger over one of the blood spatters that covered the skirt. "Or do you remember how it happened?"

She nodded. "No, I remember. I killed everyone in the wedding party at the lodge yesterday. Everyone except the priest. He was begging for mercy, though." She sniffled and glared at him. "Why did you send me on a blood trip? Other then as a way to get your rush?"

He rolled his eyes again. "Yes, of course. I'm evil, I give you permission to tap into your true nature instead of just forcing you to ignore it. Blah blah blah..."

"No," Selina put up a hand. "Wait. Stop. That's not what I meant to start off with. I meant to start off by apologizing for how I acted yesterday when you told me about Adrian. I should have said thank you instead. Mama always told me that I should thank somebody when they do something nice for me, even if they do have ulterior motives. Well, she didn't say the ulterior motives part, but, thank you for picking me."

"You're welcome," he said. "About that, why _did_ you blow up yesterday? Other than motherly instinct, any other reasons?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe it was...never mind. It's stupid." She turned away and slipped on her shoes.

"Hey," he said, pulling her back up again and turning her to face him. "Tell me why. I want to know."

She shook her head. "I don't know exactly. Maybe it's because I've never really felt worth saving before. That there was always someone more worthy than me. I guess being wanted as just myself takes a little getting used to."

He put a hand under her chin. "Adrian's going to be all right, I promise. If he isn't, Enid will have _two_ angry people to answer to."

She nodded. "Okay."

They went back to their room. "What now?" Selina asked. "More of the same?"

"Are you all right after last night?" He asked her.

She turned. "Why did you send me on a blood bender? You know its not a good idea. I mean, I probably would have done it myself in a couple of days, but with that, it has to be _my_ choice. It's not something that you can just decide for me because you like watching me kill people."

"I didn't do it because I enjoy watching you kill people," he said, shaking his head. "At least not this time. You needed a distraction. I couldn't stand seeing you be so upset over Adrian."

"Then we could have talked about it!" Selina said. "We could have used words! You could have even tied me to the bed! Anything would have been better than that." She glared. "I know why you did it. You didn't want to hear me talk anymore. You were sick of it. So you did the easiest thing you could think of to make all my 'nagging' and 'whining' go away."

He threw his hands up. "And here we go again."

"See?" Selina said. "That's exactly my point. You're perfectly happy when we're having sex, but when we're out of bed, it's harder for you." He reached out to touch her and she pushed him away. "Don't even think about it," she said. "I'm not in the mood anymore. I'll see you at home."

He sighed as she disappeared. "And she wonders why I insist we stay in bed all the time."

* * *

><p>A week later, things still hadn't improved.<p>

"What set her off?" Alistair asked. "Adrian's mission? Did she find out about that?"

"Yes," Klaus said. "But she made peace with it."

"So what's the problem?" Astrid said.

"Well," Klaus sighed. "When we were on our anniversary trip, she was still kind of upset, so I..." He trailed off.

"What?" Alistair said. "What did you do?"

"I gave her some of my blood and she wiped out an entire wedding party," Klaus said.

"I saw that on the news," Alistair said. "That was _her_?"

"Yeah," Klaus nodded. "She got really mad about it the next day. When I told her that I did what I did so she wouldn't be upset about Adrian anymore, she accused me of doing it for more selfish reasons, mainly so I wouldn't have to listen to her complain anymore."

"Well isn't that exactly why you did it?" Astrid pointed out.

"Well, the difference between the two is that she thinks I made her stop for my benefit, when what I really did was for _her_ benefit." He sighed. "Should I have just let her be miserable?"

"Yes," Alistair said. "At times like that, just leave things alone."

"I could talk to her if you want," Astrid said. "Clear the air a bit. Good idea?"

Klaus shrugged. "It's worth a shot, I suppose."

* * *

><p>"Thanks for asking me to come out for ice cream with you and Helene," Selina said, running her tongue around the cone. "I haven't been out of the house much lately. It's nice to have a change of scenery."<p>

Astrid nodded and stared over at the playground where Helene was on one of the swings. "Make sure you grip tight," she called. "If you let go, you'll fall off and that will be very painful."

"All right, Mommy," Helene called back.

Astrid turned back to Selina. "So," she said, "how are things at home?"

Selina rubbed her temples. "Oh, don't ask. It's a living nightmare."

"Why?" Astrid asked. "Klaus causing trouble? Actually, he told me what happened on your anniversary trip. That's one of the reasons why I brought you out here."

"Can you believe he did that?" Selina asked. "Sometimes I wonder why I even put up with him for doing stunts like that. He clearly doesn't care a wit about my welfare..."

"Which is why he insisted Adrian go on Enid's mission and you stay home with him so you wouldn't get hurt!" Astrid said. "Do you at least give him credit for that?"

"Yes," Selina said. "I thanked him for it and everything. And for the record, he didn't keep me home so I wouldn't get hurt. He kept me home so I would still be around to have sex with him." She shook her head. "He is _so_ selfish."

"Ah," Astrid nodded. "So you don't _like_ having sex with him. All those hours you spend in bed together, they must be absolutely miserable for you."

"No," Selina shook her head. "I _like_ having sex with him. No, I _love_ having sex with him. Only an idiot wouldn't. God, he looks _so _good naked and..." She trailed off.

"And what?" Astrid said, giving her a look. "Don't stop there."

"That's all there is," Selina said quickly. "There isn't anymore."

"I think there is," Astrid said. "Like how you _love_ him?"

"No," Selina scoffed. "Of course not."

"Yes you do!" Astrid said. "He's your husband! You have a child!"

"He's not my husband," Selina said. "We don't think of each other that way. It sounds much too establishment."

"So how _do_ you think of each other?" Astrid asked.

"We're just two people who like to have sex," Selina said. "It's not anything more than that."

"Oh, your relationship is about more than sex." She pulled out a paper and handed it to Selina. It was a relationship article titled** 20 Signs Your Booty Call Has Turned Into a Relationship.* **"Read that," Astrid ordered. "It might surprise you."

Selina looked it over. "Well," she said, "I do know his friends, not that he has very many to know, we can sometimes hang out without having sex although not often, I _do _live with him and don't leave the house in the morning, our closet is full of my clothes, he calls me 'darling' all the time, even when we're not in bed..."

"See?" Astrid grinned. "You're in a real relationship. Not just that lame booty call thing the two of you had going on at first."

"It wasn't _lame_," Selina protested. "It was quite pleasurable."

"How could it have been?" Astrid said. "You didn't even like him then!"

"You don't have to like someone to enjoy having sex with them," Selina said smugly.

Astrid rolled her eyes and turned away just as Helene sauntered toward them. "Having fun?" Astrid asked her.

"Yes," Helene said. She looked at Selina. "I had a dream about Adrian last night," she said. "He told me to tell you that he's okay and you don't have to worry anymore."

Before Selina could reply, Helene sauntered away again.

"How come _she_ gets to have dreams about Adrian?" Selina complained. "I'm his mother; you think he'd send me a message or two once in awhile."

"Maybe he knows your attention is elsewhere Miss 'in bed 24/7." Astrid pointed out.

"Oh, please," Selina shook her head. "I've been avoiding him ever since we got back."

"For a whole week?" Astrid's eyes widened. "That's a record for both of you!"

"I know," Selina said miserably. "But he made me _kill_ people." Selina said. "That's wrong."

"He was just trying to take your mind off of what was making you unhappy," Astrid said. "Yes, he didn't go about it the best way, but it worked, didn't it?"

"Yes," Selina nodded. "For a little while, I guess it did. Do I have to go and thank him again?"

"No," Astrid shook her head. "But one last apology probably wouldn't hurt."

Selina nodded. "Thanks for bringing me out here, but I think I should go home now." Astrid nodded and Selina went on her way. When Selina got home, she was met with silence. She changed into a pair of tiny jean shorts, put on a torn Def Leppard T-shirt, grabbed a full bottle of bourbon out of the cabinent and turned on the radio, getting ready to dance to whatever song came on. When she heard that it was "Dancing Queen," She went to the bathroom and grabbed a hairbrush, then ran back just in time to start singing. With the hairbrush in one hand and the bourbon in the other, she began boucing around the living room.

Klaus came home in the middle of her little performance, but that didn't stop her. She just smiled at him, said hi and kept right on going. He sat down to watch her. When it was over, she said, "Did you like my performance?"

He grinned. "I liked it very much. If you do it again in your panties, I'll walk Rusty for a week. That is, if you wash the car."

"You know," She said, "I might just have to "accidently" walk in on you after you shower in the morning." She came towards him and as she reached him, peeled off her jean shorts, climbing on top of him. Slowly, she unbuttoned his shirt. "Can I help you?" He asked, reaching for hers. She pushed his hand away. "No," she said. "It's not your turn." She finished unbuttoning his shirt and ran her hands over his body, planting kisses from under his belly button to just above the waist of his pants, which she deftly unbuttoned and unzipped, giggling and stroking him gently. He breathed hard. "Are you sure I can't help you?" He asked again.

"No," She slowly licked his shaft, squeezing gently with one hand. He growled. "Like it?" She asked. "Yes," he breathed. "But just so you know, after this I'm going to have to strap you down and..."

"Shhhhh!" she said, putting a finger on his lips. "No talking." She licked his tip in a circular motion several times and then kissed it. When she squeezed again, he came so strongly that they both toppled off the sofa and he landed on top of her. They were both breathing hard now. Her eyes were wide. "I guess it's your turn," she breathed. He pushed off her shirt and began sucking on her breasts, her little moans getting louder as he placed a hand over her thin silk panties and began rubbing her. "Let's get rid of these, shall we?" He whispered. She nodded, swallowing.

He peeled off her panties, then reached inside her, stroking and squeezing until she screamed. When she bucked up, he grabbed her around her waist and pulled her into a kiss. "Come inside me," she whispered. "I can't take much more of this."

"All right," he said. He entered her and her screams of ecstasy almost blocked the sound of the door opening. He put a hand over her mouth. "Who's there?" He called.

"It's me, Mommy and Daddy," the voice called back. "I'm home!"


	28. Family Secret

Selina and Klaus pulled apart. "Oh, my god," Selina whispered, clutching Klaus tightly, "Did you know about this?"

"No," he whispered back. "No idea."

"Mommy?" Adrian called again. "Where are you?"

"Just a minute," she called, pulling her clothes toward herself and struggling to put them on. "You get dressed too," she said, giving Klaus a look.

"What's the rush?" He asked. "Adrian already knows about this. It won't be a shock for him."

Selina rolled her eyes. "We don't even know what he saw that time. He had the flu and he could have been hallucinating."

"What was with that anyway?" Klaus asked. "How is it that he caught a human disease?"

Selina shrugged and pulled her pants and top on. "Better that than some canine thing like ringworm or fleas. Imagine how weird that would be to treat? 'Hey yeah, guy at the pet store, I need tick and flea medication. No, it's not for my dog. It's for a six year old boy. Yes I'm being serious. That _is _safe for people, right?" She shuddered. "No thank you." She got up and made sure he dressed and then they both went to the front door where Adrian watched them carefully, a keen look in his eyes. "Was I interrupting something?" He asked.

"Oh, what?" Selina laughed uneasily. "Of course not."

" 'Cause I wouldn't be surprised if I was," he said matter-of-factly. "I mean, it's not like you knew I was coming back or anything."

"Yeah, but we're so glad you're back!" Selina got down on her knees and squeezed him in a bone-crunching hug.

"Mommy, you're squishing me!" Adrian said again. When she wouldn't let him go and he began gagging, Adrian finally managed to choke out "Daddy, help me!" and Klaus pulled Selina off him.

"Are you all right?" Selina asked him. "Did they hurt you? What happened?"

Adrian shrugged. "Nothing really. They wanted to make my werewolf side go away, but it didn't work because of what Enid did."

Selina grinned. "She thought it wouldn't. So they just let you leave after that?"

"Um, yeah," said Adrian after a moment. He grinned. "I'm going to go to my room. I'm a little sleepy."

"I bet," Selina called after him. "We changed the temperature in your room a little bit, so let me know if you need extra blankets!"

"Look at you," Klaus said. "So happy he's back."

"Well yeah," Selina nodded. "Aren't you?"

"Of course," Klaus replied. "But I thought you'd be grateful for the break."

"Please," Selina said. "The only way I'd get a break is if _you_ disappeared for several days. Adrian's easy enough to handle, but you...you're something else entirely."

"And we both know you couldn't handle me being away for several days," he said. "You'd miss me too much." He put a hand under her chin and brought her eyes up to meet his.

"Oh, please," she burst out laughing. "_You_ couldn't handle being away from _me_ for several days. We both know that's how it is."

"Is not," he said. "It's all you."

"You want to make a bet on that?" She asked, her eyes twinkling. "Let's just try and stay off each other and then we'll see who gives in first."

"All right," his lip quirked. "See you in bed tonight, darling."

"The hell you will," Selina said, hands on her hips, watching his butt as he walked away. "The only way you're going to see me in bed is if you get there first and beg me to come! So there!"

He turned and strode over to her, putting his hand around her waist, and leaning in so their lips were almost touching. "I don't beg," he said. "I come, I see, I conquer. Think about that." He put her at arms' length and then let her go, heading out of the living room.

"Oh, yeah?" Selina yelled back after a moment. "You just remember that even the Romans were brought down eventually!"

" 'Eventually' being the operative word," he said smoothly. "After they'd conquered most of the world, of course."

"_The world_ may have been stupid and lame and weak," she said, "but I'm not."

"I'm not saying you're weak," he said. "I'm saying you're horny."

"I'm not," Selina said. "And even if I were, there _are_ other men around here. I don't _necessarily_ need you. Anyone will do."

"So," he said, "what are you planning to do with the rest of your day?"

"I thought I'd go furniture shopping," she said. "The chairs in the den down here don't really match and I think it would be better if they did. How do you feel about leather?"

"Oh," he nodded. "Leather's fine. What color?"

"Black," she said. "Any other would just be odd."

"All right then," he said. "Would you like me to come with you?"

"No," she shook her head, smiling. "I think I'll be just fine by myself. But you're a dear for asking." She gave him a quick kiss and then went to put on her jacket and head to the furniture store.

* * *

><p>She opened the door of Chairs 'n' Things, the local furniture store, and walked in as the bell dinged over her head. "Hi," said a bright young salesman coming towards her. "What can I help you with today?"<p>

"I'm looking for chairs," she said. "Recliners and black leather for my living room. The ones that are there now don't really match."

"Ah," he nodded. "Follow me. I think we have just the perfect thing." They walked into the recliner section of the store. "The ones I think would work best for you are in the back," the man said. "But Selina wasn't listening to him. Something had caught her eye: A big recliner covered in what seemed to be red velvety stuff. "What's this?" She asked, her hand stroking the armrest admiringly. "It's _beautiful_."

"That would be the deluxe model," he said. "It has everything: a cupholder on the side, a little pocket for the remote, not to mention built in massage. But I thought you wanted the black leather recliners?"

"Yeah," She nodded. "I do, but isn't it your job as a salesman to try and sell me the stuff I _don't_ ask for along with the stuff that I do?"

He nodded, laughing. "Good point," he said. "Have a seat and I'll show you what this baby can do."

She sat down, settled in and closed her eyes. He flicked a switch and the chair began to vibrate underneath her. She gasped. "Wow," she breathed once she remembered to tell him to turn it off. "I think I'll take that too."

"Even though it doesn't go with the leather chairs?" The salesman asked.

"Oh," she grinned. "This isn't for the living room. This is for me."

* * *

><p>"Did you find the chairs?" Klaus asked Selina when he found her hanging up her coat in the front closet.<p>

"Yes," she nodded. "Lovely things, you'll really like them. They should get here in a couple of days. And don't be angry with me, but I sort of made an impulse purchase too. Those salesmen," she rolled her eyes. "So persistent they can make you buy anything."

"So, what is it?" he asked. "You can tell me."

"No I can't," she shook her head quickly. He raised an eyebrow. "I mean, I won't. You wouldn't be interested and I don't want to bore you."

"You're wearing that sweater I like," he said. It was green and fuzzy. She held out an arm. "You can touch it if you want. It wouldn't bother me."

"No," he said. "I don't think I will. I was just admiring the color. That is...unless you_ want_ me to touch it?"

"No," Selina backed away. "Of course not. I was only asking because you've done it before and I didn't want to deny you the chance to do it again." She looked at him appealingly, making her eyes big. "You know I wouldn't deny you _anything._"

"I know what you're trying to do," he said. "It's not going to work."

"Oh, it was worth a shot though," she said. "And it's not like you'd never pull anything like that."

"True," he said. "But at least I'd be more subtle about it."

Selina scoffed. "I doubt that."

"I would!" He said fiercely.

Selina just rolled her eyes and went into the kitchen. "Whose turn is it to drop Adrian off at school tomorrow?" She asked him. "Yours, I believe."

"No," Klaus shook his head. "I think it's yours."

She shrugged. "All right. Whatever."

That night was difficult. Klaus didn't sleep at all because even when they weren't having sex, Selina thrashed and kicked and hogged the covers. He was glad he was actually wearing pajamas this time, otherwise he would have frozen. The next morning, he took Adrian to school, and told him goodbye, but was surprised when, after school, he found Helene crying and Adrian looking tight-lipped. "What happened?" He asked.

"One of the bigger boys pushed Helene into the dirt on the playground so I took care of him," Adrian said.

"He _k-killed_ him," Helene sobbed. "And buried him under the swings after making everyone go away."

Klaus looked at Adrian. "You didn't make her help bury him, did you?"

"No," Adrian shook his head.

"I saw everything!" Helene wailed.

"What did I tell you about killing people in front of girls?" Klaus asked. "You do it discreetly when nobody else is around unless they're like your mother, who's used to it."  
>"I forgot," Adrian said. "I just got so mad. You won't tell Mommy about this, will you?" He asked. "I mean, you'd do the same thing for her, right?"<p>

"Yes," Klaus sighed. "I promise I won't tell Mommy anything."

Adrian nodded. "Thank you, Daddy." He said seriously.

When they got home, Selina looked at the kids in surprise. "What happened here?" She asked. "Was there an accident?"

"The bigger boys were picking on Helene," Adrian said. "I got them to stop. I had to punch once, but they started it."

"As long as they started it, you have the right to defend yourself," Selina said. "And I'm very pleased to see you treating girls so well."

She looked at Helene. "Are you going to be all right?" She asked. "Can I get you a drink?"

Helene sniffled. "No thank you, I'll be okay."

* * *

><p>Two days later, Selina's chair arrived. She put it in one of the little-used anterooms off the main dining room along with a little TV after she told the delivery men to put the leather chairs in the living room. She sat down in the chair and turned on the vibration, sitting through three hours of talk shows. Even though they were dull, she didn't care. The chair made everything better. She turned off the television when she heard Adrian's knock and announcement that his father was home. She got up, stretched and sighed with satisfaction. She was ready to face him now. Him and his smug looks. She left the room and met him as they were both heading toward the kitchen. "So," he said, "how was your day?"<p>

She smiled. "Just lovely thanks. How was yours?"

His grin was forced. "Just dandy."

"Listen," she said. "You know you only have to do one simple thing in order to make it better."

"No," he said. "I won't."

"O_kay,"_ she said in a sing-song voice. "That's your choice I guess."

"You seem chipper," he said, narrowing his eyes. "How is it that you're doing so much better than me?"

Selina burst out laughing. "Please, honey. I was celibate for forty years. I can go on like this for _days_." She paused and looked at him devilishly. "But the question is, can _you?_ Are you capable of it?"

"Yes," he said through his teeth. "I am."

Three days later, it was laundry day. Selina instructed Adrian to go around the house and get all the clothes that were lying about so she could wash them. He walked from room to room gathering up clothes until at last he came to his parents' bathroom, where a pile of his father's clothes lay in front of the shower, in which the water was running. Adrian surveyed them for a moment, and then picked them up and took them to Selina. "Here's all of them," he said. "Can I go out and play now?"

"Yes you can," Selina nodded. "And thanks for helping me out. I appreciate it." Once he was gone, she threw the first load into the washing machine. This included the clothes that Adrian had brought from the bathroom. Once that was taken care of, she headed to the library and began reading a book. Just as the cook was about to poison the gardener however, the library door burst open. Selina looked up and saw Klaus, standing against the doorframe, naked and dripping wet.

"Well that's quite a picture," Selina said. "And kind of pathetic if you ask me."

"What do you mean?" He asked. "I lost my clothes and came in here to ask if you'd seen them."

Selina put down her book and smirked. "You lost your clothes? That's one I've never heard before. Now just admit that you lose and we can settle this like two people who haven't had sex for five days."

"I didn't come in for that!" He said as she began removing her clothes. "I actually did lose my clothes. They were in a pile in front of the shower when I got in, and when I got out, they were gone."

Standing there in her underwear, Selina studied him. He seemed to actually be telling the truth. But she still wasn't sure. "Then why didn't you just go get other clothes?" She asked. "Why'd you come in here straight from the shower?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. Habit, I guess. Now, about my missing clothes: You didn't take them did you?"

"They were in front of the shower?" Selina asked.

"Yes," he nodded. "My chinos and that blue polo. The one that you say goes so well with my eyes." He grinned.

"_Oh!_" Her eyes widened. "I know where they are! Adrian took them by mistake and brought them to the laundry room for me to wash, I swear. So I guess, in a way, I _did _take your clothes, but not for the reason you think." She paused. "So why didn't you put on other clothes before you came in here?"

"Please," he said. "Do I ever put on clothes right after I get out of the shower?"

"Good point," Selina said. "Why start now? But you can dress now that you know where your clothes are. And I'm really sorry about the mix up."

He looked at her. "You know," he said, "I have a question.

"What is it?" She asked as he advanced further into the library.

"So, if I admit that you do a better job of resisting me than I do you, we can have sex right now, right?" He asked.

"Yeah," she nodded. "That's all you have to do."

"All right," he said and lowered her down to the floor, peeling off her panties and immediately making her scream.

"Looks like I win," she said when she could finally get a breath.

"Oh, yes," he whispered, running his fingers through her hair. "You win at being celibate. That's a prize everyone should aspire to get."

"Mock it all you want," she said. "But you just admitted that I have more power over you than you do over me."

"Oh, it's not just you," he said. "I've always been an admirer of the female form." He ran his finger along the inside of her thigh and she whimpered. Then he leaned forward and kissed her. She put her arms around his neck and kissed him back. He lowered her back on to the carpet and continued to make love to her. But out of nowhere, they heard the faint ring of the telephone.

Selina sighed. "I'll go get it," she said. "Oh, what?" she asked when he gave her a look. "I'm gonna come right back. I promise." She dressed quickly and grabbed the phone just before the caller hung up. "Hello?"

After a minute or so, she realized that the caller was her mother. "What's going on, Mama?" She asked. "Is everything okay?" She paused. "All right," she said. "I'll be there as soon as I can." She hung up the phone and went back to the library where Klaus pulled her back on the rug. "I have to go," she protested. "My mother wants me to take my uncle's notes and journals and stuff off her hands. She says she's never going to do anything with them."

He groaned. "You're leaving _again_? But Adrian might be back the same time you are and we won't be able to do anything!"

"Yeah we will," Selina nodded. "You'll just have to wait a bit. You're capable of waiting." She turned and strode out of the library, leaving a grumpy-looking Klaus behind.

* * *

><p>"Thanks for coming," Amelia said when she opened the door.<p>

"No problem," Selina said. "Why are you going to give Uncle Jacob's notes away? Isn't he using them?"

Amelia shook her head. "No," she said. "He's striving for normal now, just like the rest of us did. Apparently getting murdered gave him some perspective. Plus he said he believes they'll be more useful to you in your current state than they would be to him anyway." She shrugged.

"All right," Selina nodded. "Where are they? In his room?"

"No," Amelia shook her head. "He put them in boxes up in the attic. He's here now and he said he'd help us take them out to the car." Selina followed her mother up to the attic and over the next couple of hours, they sorted her uncle Jacob's journals and papers on lycanthropy, piling up ones that would be useful and throwing out stuff that wasn't. When they got what they wanted, Amelia called her brother up.

"Did you find anything interesting?" Jacob Lockwood asked.

Selina nodded, indicating the pile by the attic door. "Are you sure you want to give all this up? It's like your life's work."

He nodded. "Yes, and it got me killed. It's about time I moved on with the new life I've been given. But I know you'll have use for it. That's why I'm giving it all to you."

Selina smiled and nodded. "I understand," she said. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," her uncle, who beared a striking resemblance to Tyler said, giving her a hug. They loaded the boxes into Selina's car and she drove back with them.

* * *

><p>"What's all that?" Adrian asked when he came out to meet the car.<p>

"Just stuff from my uncle," Selina said. "He knew a lot about werewolves and he wrote it all down. Grandma thought it would be useful to me, so I took it off her hands."

It took a little while, but Selina finally got all of it into the house, placing the boxes in a little used storage room on the first floor. "Daddy's in your room," Adrian said. "I think something's wrong."

Selina rolled her eyes. "I'll go take care of it," she said. "Don't you worry." She headed up the stairs expecting to find Klaus pouting and petulant in bed, but instead found him huddled at his desk making notes. "What are you doing?" She asked.

"I've got an idea," he said. "I've discovered the way we're going to take over the world and make more hybrids."

"I can't have a gazillion kids," she said. "It takes time."

"Exactly," he nodded. "Too much time for mass production, but I've thought of another way: all we have to do is replicate how it happened to us and then we'll have more. It'll be easy. I've managed to find the locations of some werewolf packs a few states over. Would you want to come with me and see the magic happen?"

"Sure," Selina shrugged. "I guess. It's not going to be messy, is it?"

"I don't know," he said. "It could be."

"All right," she nodded. "Just so I know ahead of time. And one more question: are we going to take Adrian too, or are we going to have to come up with a cunningly plausible excuse as to why we need to leave him with Alistair for who knows how long?"

"Excuse," Klaus said immediately. "He's too young to deal with this now. We'll leave tomorrow if that's all right with you."

"Sure," Selina nodded. "Why not?"

* * *

><p>Klaus woke her up bright and early the next morning. He led her out to the driveway where she saw something very interesting parked: a yellow and orange Volkswagon camper. She squinted at it. "What the hell is that?" She asked. "It's hideous!"<p>

"It's what we'll be riding across America in, my love," he said.

"It's still hideous," she said. "Why'd you get it?"

"It's got lots of room in the back," he said.

She nodded. "That's something, I guess." She climbed in. Shag carpeting and orange walls were everywhere. "Where did you find the time machine to get this thing?" She asked in wonder. It was cramped and she kept bumping into things until she reached the main area. He wasn't lying. It _was_ large. She settled in and then they began driving.

After several hours, they arrived in Tennessee and began trekking around in the woods, until at last, just as the sky was beginning to darken, they found the pack. It didn't take long to get their attention and they were quickly dispatched one by one. But then, when Klaus gave them his blood, something went horribly wrong. Pretty soon, every last one of them was dead.

Selina looked around her, having flashbacks to when she was alive and she'd walked among dead soldiers on her way to get water for the wash. Meanwhile, Klaus was convulsing and growling, the shoulders under Selina's hands tensing. "We should get back in the camper," she said quietly. "We can't do anymore here."

"This wasn't supposed to happen!" He said, grabbing her roughly and shoving her against a tree. "I did everything right, so why are they all dead?"

"I don't know," she said, feeling herself starting to lose air. "Let go of me."

He let her go and threw her down to the ground. "Get in the camper," he said. "We're going home."

They drove back home in silence after Selina's one attempt at conversation was met with hostility. When they stepped inside, she followed him to their bedroom. "You need to relax," she said, taking off her clothes. "I can help with that. Not to mention that it's the definite way to get a hybrid."

"Oh, don't," he snapped. "I'm not in the mood. If you want to help, just go away."

"Fine," she said. "I'll go away." When she reached the door, he let out another growl and began ripping the pages out of his notebook. "It's all over!" He cried. He grabbed the small bedside table and threw it against the wall. Selina left and went to the kitchen and when she returned, he'd quieted. She sat a cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows beside him on the desk and kissed his hair. "Feel better," she whispered. She headed toward the door again, about to leave when he said quietly, "there has to be another way."

Selina gasped. "I just thought of something!" She ran to the storage room and came back with her uncle's journals. "Read some of these," she said. "There could be something useful in them. Like this one," she held one up, "says that a vampire with an uninitiated werewolf won't die when they're bitten by another werewolf; they'll just turn human instead. I've had that happen to me a couple of times. Go through them and see what you find."

She stood over his shoulder while he leafed through her uncle's records. Finally, a sentence caught her eye. "Oh, my god," she said. "Look at that. That could be the answer."

He read it over, smiled at her and kissed her hand. "Yes," he said. "I think it is."


	29. Chloe

All right, then." Selina said. "We know what we have to do. When should we leave?"  
>"I can't believe I forgot about that last time," Klaus said. "How could I have been so stupid?"<br>"Oh, relax," she told him. "You always have trouble paying attention to things that have absolutely nothing to do with you."  
>"But we were <em>there<em> when it happened last time," he said. "Why didn't I realize that we had to follow the same steps?"  
>She shrugged. "I don't know," she said. "But let's not worry about it anymore now. Let's just go to bed and ponder how we're going to turn me back to the person I was during the sacrifice. That's probably going to be really difficult, won't it?" Selina said. "And it's not like we can tell Alistair just to make my werewolf side dormant again. And how would you even <em>do<em> that?" She shuddered. "I bet it's going to be painful." She lay down on the bed and pulled the covers over herself.  
>"Don't worry," Klaus said, climbing onto his side of the bed and putting an arm around her waist. "I know other witches besides Alistair, whose morals are much more flexible. I bet if I asked, one of them would fix you right up."<br>He sucked in a breath. "Being around you when you have a dormant werewolf side. Things will be just as fun as they used to be." He began rubbing her stomach. "And then I'm going to bite you, and we'll be on our way."  
>"I'm not going to make it easy for you," she said. "You're going to have to catch me. I'm not just going to lie on the floor and offer you my neck."<br>"I'd never ask you to," he said. "That's not much fun anyway."  
>"And just so you know ahead of time," she said, "I <em>do<em> 'die' after I receive the bite, but I wake up good as new in a couple of days. I'm telling you this now so you don't think you failed."  
>"And when you wake up, you'll be...?"<br>"Human again," she said quietly. "A doppleganger yes, the lost doppleganger, but human."  
>He turned her over and began kissing her. "Sounds very enticing," he said. "I can't wait."<p>

"Of course," she nodded. "Especially since I'll actually remember you this time instead of having amnesia and avoiding you. Actually, I didn't_ avoid _you when I had amnesia, I just-"

"You _did_," he interrupted her. "You _did_ avoid me!"

"But that wasn't my fault," Selina said. "I didn't know we were married, so that would have been creepy!"

"Anyway," Klaus said smoothly, "how many times has this whole werewolf bite thing happened to you?"

"Three, I think," Selina said after a moment. "The first time, it was so creepy because I was awake for a little while before I was pulled out of my coffin. That's not something I want to repeat. And then my cousin who was in love with me brought me back to his house and kept me there because everyone thought I was dead and he didn't want anyone to kill me, and...well it was very complex."

"Why was your cousin in love with you?" Klaus asked.

"Well," Selina said, "remember how I always told you that my mother and the rest of the family were in denial about the werewolf side? Well, my cousin saw me attack and nearly kill their overseer when I was five, and he kept a really close watch on me after that. He was scared that if he let me out of his sight for even a minute, I would get lose, kill somebody and turn. Kind of like how I was with Adrian before you went and made it a moot point."

Klaus rolled his eyes.

"It got even worse as I got older," she continued. "Even to the point where Michael suggested that either he and I marry, or I become a nun. Neither of those options were doable for me."

"Did your mother know that you would be a little more feral since you were born during a full moon?" Klaus asked.

Selina nodded. "Uncle Jacob told her," she said. "And so began her crusade to keep me as boring as possible."

"Well," he said, "at least we ended that."

"True," she nodded, leaning back on the bed. "That makes me so happy. Best choice I ever made."

He kissed her and pulled her up so that she could put her arms around his neck. "You know," he said, "I'm not really tired."

She shook her head. "Me neither. Would you like to wear me out?"

He nodded and they made love until they both passed out on the bed, the blankets and sheets all over the floor, and a lamp, broken from being kicked off the bedside table.

* * *

><p>Selina was jolted out of sleep by the shrill ringing of the telephone. She opened her eyes, gently pushed Klaus off her and rolled onto her stomach to look at the clock. She didn't see it. It had been knocked onto the floor as well. She looked off the side of the bed and saw the dark, square shape, glowing faintly red on one side on the floor, just far enough away from the bed to be difficult to reach. But she tried anyway, leaning farther and farther forward. But just as her fingertips touched the clock, she fell off the bed with a scream into the pile of blankets.<p>

The noise made Klaus moan slightly, but he didn't wake up. The man could sleep through anything. She grabbed the clock and groaned when she saw the flashing numbers. She put the clock down and grabbed the phone. "Listen," she whispered angrily, "it's two-thirty in the morning. What the hell do you want?"

"That's a fine way to greet me," Elissavetta said. "Especially since you're already up anyway."

"I'm sorry," Selina said shortly. "How can I help you?"

"I just wanted to know if you were pregnant yet?" Elissavetta asked.

"No," Selina shook her head. "Not yet, and maybe not ever. Deal with it!" She slammed the phone down before Elissavetta had time to say anything else and then crawled back into bed. Once her head hit the pillow, she felt Klaus' arm go around her waist again. "What was that?" He asked groggily.

"Nobody," she said. "Just your mother wanting to know if I'm pregnant again. Why that couldn't wait until daylight, I have no idea."

"Hmmm..." He nodded and fell back asleep again. Sighing, she closed her eyes, hoping that she would be able to sleep just as well.

* * *

><p>Klaus woke up just before sunrise and saw that the space beside him was empty. He checked the bathroom and saw no one, so he began walking around the house, calling Selina's name. When he reached the kitchen, he finally heard her voice.<p>

"Looking for me?" She asked and then giggled. She was standing naked against the doorframe of the kitchen, clutching a nearly empty bottle of rum in one hand.

"Yes," he nodded, his eyes roaming her body in spite of himself. He averted his gaze. Now was not the time. Something was clearly wrong. "Just so I can be sure," he asked, "Is this an early morning surprise for me, or is there something wrong with you?"

She slammed the rum bottle down on the kitchen table. "I've been in here for _hours_," she said. "Your mom called at two-thirty this morning to ask me if I was pregnant again yet, and then after I hung up on her, I fell asleep and had the worst nightmare ever."

"Just a minute," he said, when he noticed that his eyes kept straying away from her face. He went and grabbed one of his shirts and put it on her, buttoning it down to the last button so at least she was covered up. Then he got distracted by her legs, so he grabbed a blanket from the hall closet, pushed her into a chair, and threw the blanket over her lap.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"Well," he said, "you're having some sort of problem and I want you to know that I care. The only way I will be able to take it seriously is if I put all distractions out of sight and out of mind."

"Oh," she said. "Okay."

"So about this bad dream you had?"

Suddenly, she burst into tears. "I don't want to tell you," she said. "You're going to think it's stupid."

"No, I won't!" He shook his head earnestly. "Just tell me what happened."

"Okay," she said, sniffling. "I had a dream that we had another baby and it was a girl that had my features and you got so enamored by her that you paid attention to her and locked me in a room so that you wouldn't have to look at me anymore!"

"That's just ridiculous," he said. "You can't actually believe that that would happen."

"It could," she said. "You can't pretend like you've never thought of Adrian that way."

"Well all right," he said. "Maybe just a little."

Selina looked at him balefully, her bottom lip jutting out. "You wrecked me, you know. You're giving me all this attention and now I don't want to share it with anybody."

"Come here," he said, holding his arms out. She shoved the blanket onto the floor and then went to sit on his lap.

They kissed deeply and he picked her up and took her to the sofa where he undressed her again, savoring her happy moans as he ran his hands over her body.

"So I'll win all the time?" She asked.

"Yes," he nodded. "All the time."

* * *

><p>They went back to their room and dressed. "Whose turn is it to take Adrian to school?" Selina asked. "I could do it. Or do you want to?"<p>

"I will," he said. "You stay here."

When he returned, she'd dressed and was making breakfast for them. "Hey," he said, coming into the kitchen and putting his arms around her waist. She was wearing a rose colored button down shirt with short sleeves and a gray skirt. "Hey to you too," she said as he began to kiss her neck. She flipped the pancakes over and then put them onto plates, then turned around and kissed him back as he ran his hands over her body, lingering, of course, on her butt. "You need a little?" She asked him.

"Stupid question," he said, taking her hand and leading her to the laundry room. They emerged sighing contentedly a few minutes later, sitting down at the table to eat. "So," she said after swallowing a forkful of pancakes and taking a sip from a blood bag. "What did you want to do today?"

"I was thinking I should call some of my contacts," he said. "The witches, remember, that I mentioned yesterday?"

"Oh, yeah," she nodded. "The witch that's going to make my werewolf side all dormant so nothing can go wrong again. And about that," she gestured with the fork. "Don't be so hard on yourself. Everyone makes mistakes. It happens."

"I can't afford mistakes," he said. "This is too important." She could see that his muscles were beginning to tense up.

"All right," she said. "Let's talk about something else."

He nodded. "Sorry about my mother calling this morning. Her sense of timing is never the best. That's probably what made you have that nightmare."

"Yeah," she shook her head. "It was ridiculous, I know, but-"

"No, it's not," he said. "I find it comforting that you're just as self-centered as I am."

"The thing is, I do kind of want to have more kids," she said. "At least one more. But if it's a girl, I'll have to compete for attention, and if it's a boy then I'll be vastly outnumbered..."

"But you'll have one more man to shower you in shameless adoration," Klaus said. "Think of that."

She nodded. "You have a point."

"And honestly," he continued, "you really don't have to compete for anything. The thing you're afraid of losing is the sex, which to be frank is completely incomprehensible to me, but..."

"...But it's not inconceivable for me to be worried," she said. "You know that. It's happened to you!"

"Exactly," He nodded, "which is why I would never torture both of us by putting you through the same thing!"

"I'll go load the dishwasher," she said when she noticed their dishes were empty.

"All right," he said, kissing her again. "I have some phonecalls to make."

* * *

><p>A couple of days later, Selina and Klaus were in the car again. "Tell me again who we're going to see," Selina said.<p>

"Her name's Chloe," Klaus said. "Thanks to her, three towns in West Virginia are under quarantine for a flesh-eating virus. And she's been helping criminals get off scot-free for years, and..."

"So basically you're telling me she's corrupt," Selina said. "That's good, I suppose."

"Exactly," he nodded. "We can't have someone with a conscience handling this. It wouldn't work."

"True," Selina nodded. "But wouldn't it have been easier just to ask Alistair? I mean, he helped you the first time. Who's to say he won't do it again?"

"I just didn't feel like asking him," Klaus said. "Technically this wasn't something I told him about when I first came up with the plan. I mean, originally, it was to get hold of you, or rather a girl like you, and then have my hybrid race that way, but then I thought, why not just do both? It'll give you a bit of a rest, yet we still get who we need to take over the world."

"How thoughtful," Selina said.

"You're jealous, aren't you?" He said, grinning at her.

"No," she shook her head and scoffed. "No I'm not!" She paused. "She's not going to like, make you pay her or anything, will she?"

"Ah," he nodded. "So you think that the only way she'll do this for me at all is if I go to bed with her in exchange. Well that would put her in charge, wouldn't it?"

Selina nodded.

"And how often do I let that happen?" He asked.

She shrugged. "Not often."

"Exactly," Klaus nodded. "Especially for a woman who's only a witch and nothing more. She's a means to an end. That's it."

"Okay, okay," Selina held her hands up. "I just wanted to be sure."

They sat in silence for the rest of the trip and then pulled onto a dirt road and drove down it aways before reaching an isolated cabin. "Wow," Selina said. "That's almost a cliche, isn't it?"

"She has to be isolated," he whispered. "Being around people throws off her focus."

"Ah," Selina nodded as he took her hand and led her up to the cabin door. "She wasn't always a witch, you know," he said. "She brought it on herself."

Selina frowned. "What do you mean 'she brought it on herself'?"

He grinned. "She told me once that she was really in love with a man, but he abandoned her and fell in love with somebody else, and just before their wedding, Chloe ran into the woods to have a visit with the witch who used to live here. I forget her name. Anyway, Chloe asked for a spell that would make her ex-boyfriend forget all about his fiancee and love her again instead. The witch did as Chloe asked, but the price was that Chloe became a witch too. And not only that: she became cold, heartless and unable to love anyone."

"What happened to her boyfriend and his fiancee?" Selina asked, her hand on the doorknob.

"Oh," he said, "they married, of course. He forgot all about _her_."

Selina looked in the window and saw a young woman sitting at a harp, strumming the same notes over and over again. Her hair was dark and ratty, her pale face smudged with dirt, her brown dress old and ratty. When the woman turned to look her in the eye, she gasped and stepped back. "Maybe _you_ should be the one to knock," Selina said quickly. "She knows you better."

He cleared his throat and knocked on the cabin door. The woman answered a few seconds later, a wicked grin crossing her face. "Well look at you!" She said. "I never thought I'd see you again. What brings you here?"

"I need some help," he said.

"Ah," Chloe nodded as she gestured him inside and shut the door in Selina's face. "Still working on that plan to become a hybrid and take over the world?"

"Actually, that is in the process of working," he said. "I got everything activated in myself and..."

"Would you like me to find you a mate?" Chloe asked, a twinkle in her eye.

"No," Klaus shook his head. "I got that taken care of too. I even brought her with me."

Chloe's eyes widened. "You _did_? Where is she?"

"On the porch," Klaus said. "You forgot to let her in."

"Oh," Chloe said, her eyes downcast. "I didn't see her." She went to the door and let a scowling Selina inside. "Well," Chloe said, looking her over, "You're not exactly what I expected."

"Skip the small talk, will you?" Selina snapped. "We came here for a reason!"

"And what's that?" Chloe asked, looking at Klaus.

"Well," he said, "a short time ago, I attempted to make others like myself, using the traditional methods of transformation. Unfortunately though, that failed and every werewolf in the pack we found ended up dead. But then, Selina found a book of some research her uncle did and we realized what we did wrong."

"You didn't give them any of the doppleganger's blood did you?" Chloe asked.

"Exactly," Klaus nodded. "But now that's going to be a bit difficult since she's a hybrid as well. So what we were hoping you could do is some sort of magic to repress her werewolf side, at least until we get proper numbers for an army."

"I could do that," Chloe nodded. She looked at Selina. "Sit please, dear." Selina sat. "And I'm going to ask you to step outside," she told Klaus. "If you stay here, you might disrupt the procedure. No matter what you hear, don't come back inside until I say it's all right."

Klaus looked at her uncertainly for a moment and then stepped outside.

"Now," Chloe said to Selina, "undress, please."

Selina did as she was told, although grudgingly. Chloe put Selina's clothes on a dressmaker's dummy and took some of Selina's blood and smeared it over Selina's clothes, mumbling some spell as she did so. Then, she grabbed a pair of silver shears and jabbed them right in the spot of the dummy where the heart would be. The dummy began to bleed Selina screamed. Chloe stabbed again and again and again, until Selina was weak, exhausted and crumpled in a heap on the floor. She was covered in her own blood, because she'd bled as the dummy had. Every inch of her hurt. She wanted to die.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that," Chloe said. "There's no other way."

Selina looked up at her and nodded.

"Why don't I fix a bath up for you?" Chloe suggested. "It won't take long and it'll do you a world of good."

"All right," Selina said quietly.

Chloe returned a few minutes later and helped Selina into the tub, watching her intently. "How are you feeling?" She asked at last.

"Good," Selina nodded. "The water's nice and warm."

Chloe grinned. "No pain at all?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "Should there be?"

"Well," Chloe said, you can answer that. You're sitting in a bath full of wolfsbane. Should you be in pain right now?"

"Yes," Selina nodded, letting water drip through her open fingers. "But I'm not."

"That just means the spell worked," Chloe said. "Did you bring other clothes with you?"

Selina nodded. "Yes."

"All right," Chloe said. "I'll have Klaus get them for you."

Chloe came back a few minutes later and Selina dressed. Then, she and Klaus left the cabin, but not before Chloe said "I know where another wolf pack is...if you're interested."

"We will be," Klaus nodded. "Eventually."

"And when you go," Chloe said, "Can I come with you?"

"Why?" Selina asked. She was still smarting a little from the spell.

"I could be of help," Chloe said. "You never know. Why are you waiting?"

"I have things going on next week," Klaus said.

* * *

><p>It was the night before the day he always considered to be his "birthday" and he was determined that this one would be better than all the others. That meant that no one from his family could be involved. They would just wreck everything. He told Alistair and Astrid about his plan and they agreed to keep Adrian for a couple of days, then called the pilot for his private jet and the two of them got Selina on the plane without waking her. They flew to Maui, where Klaus got a cabin on the black sand beach, in one of the areas that was farthest away from the tourists. No one would disturb them there, and it would look beautiful at night. Just as he'd dreamed about. "Happy birthday to me," he whispered to himself.<p> 


	30. Keeping Up Appearances

Selina opened her eyes and sat up. She looked around and frowned. "I have no idea where I am," she said to herself. She got out of bed and went to open the curtains. Sunlight flooded into the room and her skin began to sizzle and burn. She hissed and shut the curtains, plunging the room back into blessed darkness. She looked down at her hand. Where had she put her ring? And more importantly, why the hell had she taken it off in the first place? She rolled her eyes and pulled back her hair, putting on a bathrobe.  
>After she finished brushing her teeth, she came out of the bathroom and started as she saw the doorknob turn. "Who is it?" She called out.<br>"It's me," Klaus called back. "Can I come in?"  
>"Sure," she called. "Fine, whatever."<br>He came in, grinning at her. "Nice to see you're up," he said.  
>"We didn't have sex last night, did we?" She asked, looking at him suspiciously.<br>"No," he shook his head. "But now that you're up..." He cocked an eyebrow.  
>"No," she shook her head. "I got a look outside," she said. "What is it with you and dragging me off to obscure locations where no one can come and rescue me?"<br>"Since when do you need to be rescued?" He asked. "What's wrong with you?"  
>She shook her head. "Nothing is," she said. "Of course you <em>would<em> think there's something wrong since you love yourself so much and..."  
>"Seriously," he repeated. "<em>What's wrong with you?<em> You aren't acting like you normally do. You're acting like you did when..." he trailed off.  
>"When we first got together?" Selina finished.<br>"Yes, exactly." He nodded.  
>"Well," Selina sighed, "I don't know why that's such a surprise to you, since you told that Chloe person to take away my werewolf side. The vampire part's all that's left."<br>He reached out for her and she shrugged him off. "I don't like to be touched!" She snapped. "I'm going to shower and dress and when I come back, _you_ aren't going to be here."  
>He grinned as she went into the bathroom. This was an interesting development. It seemed like she was spoiling for a fight. It'd been awhile since they'd had one, so he'd be glad to give it to her.<p>

He left her alone like she asked and went into the living room to watch television. When she appeared again, looking like a cat who'd fallen into a bath, he turned the television off and grinned at her. "May I help you?" He asked, looking her over.

"Would you care to explain to me where all my clothes went?" She looked down at herself, gesturing pointedly at the hot pink string bikini she was wearing. "This was all I could find."

He cleared his throat. "Well you'll have to excuse me," he said, "but when I packed, I didn't think you'd be needing clothes, so I didn't put any in the suitcase for you."

Her eyes narrowed. "What do you mean 'I didn't think you'd be needing any clothes'?"

"Well," he said, "since you think I'm so depraved, I'm surprised you haven't figured it out by now."

"Oh, right," she nodded. "How could I be so stupid? Of course that's why."

"You want to fight?" He asked seriously.

She shook her head. "No," she said flippantly. "I think I'll go to the library and read a book."

"Fine," he nodded. "Go ahead. I don't care."

"Good," she said, and strode away.

He ran his fingers through his hair and sat back down on the sofa, idly flipping through the channels. This definitely was not going the way he wanted it to. But how to fix it? Finally, after an hour or two, he decided that direct action was the best option. "So," he said, striding into the library, "what the hell is wrong with you?"

She put her book down and looked up at him. She was sitting in an olive green leather chair with her legs dangling off one arm rest. "I don't know what you mean," she said.

"Why are you acting like this?" He said. "It's weird."

"How long have you been around?" She asked him. "Like on this planet?"

"A long time," he said. "Much longer than you."

"Uh-huh," she nodded. "And in that time, you've probably slept with every woman who caught your eye. Am I right?"

"Yes," he said, fidgeting. "So what?"

"So," she said, "I'm not going to be the next in line. I'm going to be the one who doesn't give in and you'll just have to deal with it."

He burst out laughing. "Oh, please," he said. "You've been in my bed more than anybody else. Or did that knowledge leave your brain with the rest of your werewolf side?"

"No," she shook her head. "I can't say I'm proud of the things I've done, but I intend to be a much better person from now on."

"So basically," he said, hand on one hip, "even though it's my birthday, and even though you're the only person I've been with since I've known you, you're not going to throw me a bone or anything? You're just going to stay in here? Like this?"

"Yep," she nodded. "That's what's going to happen."

"If the past is any indication, I doubt that," he told her. "You'll come eventually."

She grinned, one corner of her mouth up. "I believe we've been through this," she said, "and have discovered, definitively, that it's _you_ who can't stay away from _me_. After Aleksandr left me without a word, I was celibate for almost fifty years. I could go on like this forever."

"Yeah, but _I_ can't!" he protested. "Think about _me_, would you?" He paused. "Wait a minute," he said. "There it is. You gave me a clue."

"What?" She asked. "No I didn't!"

"Yes you did!" he said. "Aleksandr left you and you're mad about it, so you're taking out on me just because I happen to be related to him."

"No," Selina shook her head. "That's not even what it is."

"Well what is it then?"

"Let me say this," she told him. "You figure it out and I'll sleep with you. Is that a good compromise?"

"No," he said. "No it isn't. I want to go out to the beach now!"

"Can't," she shook her head and held up her bare hand. "No ring, remember? Unless you _want_ to spend your birthday with a big pile of charred dust?"

"It'd be a picnic compared to what I've got now," he retorted.

"You're making this much more difficult than it needs to be," she said.

"No," he shook his head. "You are. Just tell me what the problem is."

"You know it," she insisted. "I shouldn't have to tell it to you."

"Fine," he said and stomped off. He grabbed the phone and dialed Alistair's house.

"Hey," Astrid answered. "How's the vacation going?"

"Bad," he snapped. "We visited somebody before we left and now things aren't going well at all. Is Alistair around? Not that I don't enjoy talking to you."

"No," Astrid said. "I get it. Hang on a minute. I'll get him."

"What is it?" Alistair said flatly. "What did you do now?"

"Why is it that you assume I always _did_ something?" Klaus asked.

"You told Astrid you visited somebody," Alistair snapped. "Who was it?"

"Nobody," Klaus said. "Just Chloe."

"Why did you want to see her for?" Alistair exploded. "She's crazy! Remember how long it took us to get her away from you last time? I swear, if she and Vanessa got together, you'd never have a decent relationship again. So why did you go and see her?"

"Because," Klaus said, "I needed something done for my hybrid army plan and I doubted you would be up to doing it."

"Couldn't you have at least asked me first?" Alistair said.

"Why ask if you're just going to say no?" Klaus replied.

"What did you ask Chloe to do?"

"Well," Klaus said, "the first time I tried to make hybrids out of actual werewolves, it failed miserably, but that's because I forgot about the part involving the blood of the doppleganger. But we couldn't use Selina's like last time because she was a hybrid, and then she found stuff in her uncle's notes that said it was easy enough to turn her human again, we just had to get rid of her werewolf side temporarily, and that's what I went and saw Chloe for."

"And did her spell work?" Alistair asked.

"Yes," Klaus said. "A little _too _well. I think she even took Selina's gene away, along with her werewolf demeanor. So here I am in Hawaii on what was supposed to be a romantic birthday trip and I'm stuck with the worst part of her that's temperamental and difficult and has an intense dislike of intimacy. Not my idea of a good time. So how do I fix it?"

"Even if I _did_ know," Alistair said, sounding like he was trying hard not to laugh, "I wouldn't tell you."

"She told me I already knew, and once I figured it out, she'd sleep with me."

"Well there you go," Alistair told him. "There's hope after all."

"But I don't know. That's the thing."

"Well," Alistair said, "you told me it seems like she has an intense dislike of intimacy. Start there and you might be able to figure it out. Would you like to say hello to Adrian?"

"Sure," Klaus said. "Why not?"

A few seconds later, Adrian came on the line. "Hi, Daddy!" he said. "Are you and Mommy having a good time?"

"Actually," Klaus said, "Mommy's kind of mad at me right now, so we aren't having such a good time."

"Oh," Adrian said. "I'm sorry."

"It's all right," Klaus told him. "It's not your fault, is it?"

"No," Adrian said. "You could make her not mad at you easy though."

"I tried that," Klaus said. "That's what she's mad at me about."

"_Oh_," Adrian said. "Go get her a ice cream. Sugar makes everybody happy."

Klaus grinned in spite of himself. That actually wasn't a bad idea. "Thanks, sport," he said. "I'll give it a shot."

"Good luck, Daddy."

"Bye, Adrian."

As he hung up the phone, he heard a small noise. He turned and saw Selina leaning against the kitchen doorframe. "Yes?" he said. "May I help you?"

"Who were you talking to?" She asked.

"Alistair," he said.

"So you're cheating," she said. "You shouldn't have to do that. You should know how to fix this. I've told you often enough."

"Is this some test you've thought up?" He asked her. "Or do you genuinely not feel anything for me?"

"Come here," she said. He went toward her and she kissed him. Deeply. As she pulled away, he said. "Anything?"

She shook her head. "No, but we can try again in a few minutes."

"I have a question," he said.

"What?" She asked, turning.

He cleared his throat. "I noticed an ice cream stand down on the beach when we got here last night. You want to come with me and get something at sunset?"

"Just ice cream?" She asked. "Why?"

"Because," he said, "to quote a very wise little boy, 'sugar makes everyone happy'."

"Wow," Selina said. "You're even asking little kids for advice? You must be desperate."

"Well yes," he said. "I came down here with one thing in mind. Would you like to know what that was?"

"Even though I know, go ahead and tell me," Selina said.

"I wanted to take you to the beach, rip off your clothes, and make love to you until we were too tired to move anymore."

"You're very blunt, aren't you?" She asked.

"Well yes," he said. "And you aren't helping the situation. Wearing that when nothing's going to come of it."

"Well I'd be more than happy to cover up," she retorted. "But I couldn't find anything that would provide covering!"

He strode into their bedroom and grabbed a white button down blouse and a knee-length black skirt. "Here," he said, throwing them at her. "Put those on."

"So are we still going out for ice cream later?" She asked.

"I suppose," he said.

"All right," she nodded. "See you then."

* * *

><p>She took her clothes to the bedroom, dressed, and then surveyed herself in the mirror. She had no idea what he was talking about. Why any man, especially one as attractive and experienced as him would want to make love to her until they were both worn out was a mystery to her. She was boring. Not to mention unattractive. Or maybe it was that she was bad in bed. Yes, that would explain why every man she'd been married or engaged to left after spending the night with her. That's why she couldn't let him near her. If he found out the truth, he'd disappear just like the others, and she really liked him. She frowned at her reflection, then turned away in disgust, climbing onto the bed, she opened her book again and continued reading.<p>

A couple of hours later, she looked out the window from the bed. The sun was going down. There was a knock on the bedroom door. "Come in," she called, putting her book down. Klaus came in a few seconds later. "Ready to go?" he asked.

"Why?" She asked.

"I thought we were going to get ice cream," he said.

"Not that," she said. "Why me?"

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Why me?" She repeated. "Why do you want me?"

He took her hand and led her to the mirror. "Do you want me to show you?"

"Yes," she nodded. "Because clearly I'm missing something."

He positioned her so that she was in front of him and they were both standing and looking at the mirror. Then he slowly began unbuttoning her shirt, peeling it off her and letting it fall to the floor, grinning as her muscles tensed and she breathed in sharply. Then, he unzipped her skirt and let that fall to the floor as well.

"You don't want to do this," she whispered. "You'll be sorry. And then you'll leave just like the others."

"What?" He paused rubbing her stomach and blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Every single one of them left," she said. "Sometimes after one night, sometimes after a few, but it's because I'm bad in bed you know. Either that, or it's all I'm good for. I can't decide which."

"Look at yourself," he said. "What do you see?"

"I'm not pretty," she said quickly. "I'm too pale, my eyes are too big, I'm way out of proportion. Not exactly the sort men trip over themselves to get into bed."

"And that's why I like you," he grinned. "No competition."

She groaned, looking like she was going to cry.

"You're so tense," he said. "Do you realize how tense you are?"

"Maybe," she said. "But that doesn't really matter, does it?"

"Yes it matters," he said. "Come here."

She eyed him reluctantly, then got in the bed on her stomach. He began rubbing her back and her shoulders, grinning at her happy moans. "Better?" he asked after a little while.

"Oh, yes," she nodded. "Are we going for ice cream now?"

"Yes," he nodded. "Just let me take a quick shower and then we'll go."

He went into the bathroom and turned the shower on. To cold.

* * *

><p>Chloe stood on the observation deck, watching them as they sat on the beach, eating ice cream. She was glad she'd done what she'd done. He'd promised her long ago that when he took over the world, she'd be the first one he'd call, but he'd lied. Chosen some stupid girl instead. She'd have to show him how wrong he was. That he'd made a mistake. Obviously things had gone south somehow. She shut her eyes and then found herself inside what she presumed to be their house. She shut the lights off so the room was plunged into darkness. They came back later. Klaus said he was going to the bathroom. The girl was coming straight for the bedroom. Chloe hid herself behind the bedroom door, and when Selina opened it, Chloe grabbed Selina around the waist and put a hand over her mouth to stifle her screams. Then, she forced a potion down her throat that made her unconscious and carried her out to the beach, burying her in the sand, but not before cutting off a lock of her hair and taking some of her blood. She drank the blood and put the hair in locket she wore around her neck. She felt herself begin to change. Afterward, she hurried back inside, turning on the bedroom light and looking into the mirror to make sure the spell had worked. Yes it had. She looked like the girl. As she heard Klaus come toward the bedroom, she plunged the room into darkness again, taking off her clothes. When Klaus came into the room, she threw her arms around him. He responded immediately, running his hands over her body and carrying her to the bed, where they made love to each other in total darkness.<p>

"You're so good," he whispered at one point, running kisses down her neck as he pushed into her. She grinned to herself. She certainly was.


	31. Seraphine Gardner

The next morning, as the light was pouring into the bedroom, Chloe opened her eyes and turned on her side so that she wa facing Klaus. "Morning," she said.  
>"Morning," he whispered, running his fingers through her hair. "Just because I'm curious, what happened last night?"<br>Chloe frowned. "What do you mean?"  
>"Well," he laughed a little. "You were all moody yesterday and I come in at night and..." He grinned. "You know."<br>"Well," she said, running a hand over his stomach. "It was my way of apologizing for being such a pill. You know I can be like that sometimes."  
>"Yes, that's true," he nodded, kissing her cheek. "It was unfortunate that it had to happen on my birthday." He eyed her hopefully.<br>"I know I was mean to you on your birthday," she said, "but I'll make it up to you, I promise. Will you let me make it up to you?"  
>"Of course," he said, looking at her in surprise. "Just what did you have in mind?"<br>She grinned. "You'll see. Now I have to run outside real quick, but I'll be back in no time."  
>He nodded and she ran ouside, looking for the spot where she'd buried Selina's body. She found it quickly and dug her up again, taking her out into the ocean and staring as her body sank. No one would find her now. She went back to the house, wiping the sand off her fingers before heading inside.<br>"Are you all right?" Klaus asked, coming to meet her.  
>"Yes," Chloe nodded. "Why wouldn't I be?"<br>"Well," he said, "it was just that you went outside without your ring. I would have thought that would be a problem for you since Chloe took away your werewolf side and all. At least that's what you said yesterday."

"Oh!" Chloe's eyes widened. "That's right, I did, didn't I? Well, I _neglected_ to mention that she told me the spell she put on me made me able to go out in sunlight as well, so that's why I'm okay." She grinned, willing him to believe it.

He frowned. "Come now, Chloe. Stop lying to me and tell me what happened."

"Chloe?" She said uneasily. "Who's Chloe? I'm certainly not. I'm Selina, you know that."

Klaus shoved her hard against the wall. "Tell me," he growled. "What did you do with her? Where is she?"

"In the ocean," Chloe said simply. "No way to get her now, so you may as well forget and start enjoying life with me. We used to have fun. Remember that?" She ran a hand over his cheek, but he gave her a hard slap. "What do you mean she's in the ocean?"

"Just what I said," she told him. "I drugged her, took her blood and hair, and then threw her body in the ocean. You're never going to see her again."

"You're lying," he said. "There has to be a way."

"No," she said flippantly. "There isn't. What's so special about her anyway? What does that neurotic little bitch have that I don't?"

"I don't have to explain anything to you," he said.

"Ah," Chloe nodded and lay down on the bed. "So either you don't know, or you just don't want to tell me."

"How about the latter?" He said. "It's too much for your mind to figure out."

"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me," Chloe said.

"Would it make you fish her out of the ocean?"

"No," Chloe shook her head. "But I have no doubt she'll wash up somewhere far away. You just have to be patient. In the meantime, as long as we're here..."

"No," Klaus shook his head. "We're going home."

"Ah," Chloe said, following him out the door of the villa. "So where exactly is 'home' anyway?"

"You'll see," he said. "The children will be anxious to meet you."

Chloe froze. "Children? What children?"

He grinned. "Selina's and my children. Well, child. Only one of them is ours, but Alistair married and his daughter comes and stays with us quite frequently, so it's very likely you'll meet both."

"So I have to be a mother?" Chloe whined. "I didn't sign up for that."

"Deal with it," Klaus said. "When we get back to the house, you're going to stay with them because somebody has to, and then Alistair and I are going to find Selina."

* * *

><p>"Oh," Chloe said. "Nice house." She'd returned to her own appearance and leaned forward to survey herself in the review mirror as Klaus parked his car in the garage. "I got out of that spell quite nicely, don't you think?"<p>

"I suppose," Klaus' voice was dismissive. "But you're going to wish it hadn't worn off when you get inside."

"Oh?" Choloe said. "Why?"

"Well," Klaus said, grinning as he got out of the car, "let's just say that Adrian is very devoted to his mother and he won't be too happy when he finds out you were responsible for making her disappear."

He opened the garage door into the house and then called out "we're home!" He gestured for Chloe to step inside just as three people reached the front door. Well, two people and one dog. "Hi, Daddy," Adrian said. He eyed Chloe suspiciously. "Who's that?" he asked. "Where's Mommy?" The little dog beside him barked and bit Chloe's ankle.

"Rusty doesn't seem to like you," Adrian said. "So who are you?"

"This," Klaus said, "is the woman who made your mother disappear."

"What?" Adrian said. "She's gone?"

"Yes," Klaus nodded. "And Alistair and I are going to look for her." He looked at Helene who had the guarded expression she always wore when the two of them were in the same room. "Darling," he asked, "is your father here or at home?"

"He's here," she said quietly.

"Thank you," Klaus grinned. "Usual spot, I'm guessing." He turned to grin at Chloe, who was glaring at him and rubbing her ankle. "You three have a lovely time while we're gone."

He found Alistair in the den, watching the news. "Anything interesting on?" He asked.

"No," Alistair shook his head. "I see you brought the witch with you. I can't believe you did that. Selina missing and you bring her here..."

"Well somebody has to watch the children while we're out looking, don't they?" Klaus asked. "It wouldn't be very responsible to leave them alone and we certainly can't take them with us."

Alistair looked at him in surprise. "Could it be that I'm finally rubbing off on you? Just a little bit?"

"Perhaps," Klaus said. "Just don't tell anyone. So, where are we going to start looking?"

"I don't know yet," Alistair said. "Did Chloe say anything about what she did with her?"

"She said she dumped her into the sea," Klaus heaved a huge sigh.

"That's not very specific," Alistair said. "We'd better get a move on, because I assume we want to find her as quickly as possible?"

"Of course," Klaus nodded. They headed out the door. "Don't leave me here," Chloe said. "I can't _do _this!" She was practically crying.

"Goodbye, Chloe," Klaus said. Alistair looked at him in surprised approval as they got into the car and headed away from the house.

* * *

><p>They didn't see anything strange in the news for a week. "Look at this," Alistair said. "Tourist ship was found just off the Cuban coast. Everyone on board slaughtered. Strangely enough, though, they all had ribbons on their necks. When the police cut one apart, the corpse's head fell from his shoulders. All the others were like that."<p>

"Oh, God," Klaus took a deep breath. "Seraphine Gardner."

"What?" Alistair rolled his eyes. "Selina's missing and you're thinking of _another_ woman? And you were doing so well."

Klaus turned to him. "You remember her, don't you? Come on, I know you do. The year was 1924, we were in Paris, and as usual, you were nagging me about something..."

_"I don't know why we're even here," Alistair said grumpily as he took a seat at yet another bar. This one, despite the fact that it was in the middle of Paris, had a country western theme to it. "It's just the same thing day in, day out. Don't you ever get bored?"_

_"No," Klaus grinned at him. "Why would I be bored? Everything's wonderful. I'm young, I'm good-looking, I know where all the good bars are..." He paused and gave Stefan and his sister Anna a look. "And I'm among good friends."_

_"Well I just think that you should reconsider how you spend your time," Alistair said, frowning at him and dusting cigarette ash off the lapel of his suit. "Invest in a real relationship, maybe? It would be good for you."_

_"Oh, please, Alistair," Klaus burst out laughing. "You're not very subtle, you know. Encouraging me to settle down and have a normal relatiionship. What's next? Complaining about the grandchildren you're never going to have?" Stefan and Anna burst out laughing. _

_"Yes, you three," Alistair smiled bitterly. "Laugh all you want, but I really think I'm onto something." He got up and headed to the bathroom to shake more ashes out of his coat._

_"So what are we going to do now that he's gone?" Stefan asked._

_"Yeah, Nick," Anna said smiling. "What are we going to do?"_

_Klaus shrugged. "I don't know. I thought we could stay around a little. I had a specific reason for wanting to come here tonight."_

_"And that is...?" Anna asked him._

_"Don't tell Alistair," Klaus whispered. "But I've met someone and I kind of like her. You're going to meet her tonight." He looked at the clock. "In fact, right about...now."_

_Just then, the emcee came on to the stage. "Evening ladies and gents! I'd like to introduce you to a little lady who came all the way from the States to give us a little of their local flavor. She's been here every night, and she'll be here until she gets tired of us, and fortunately, that hasn't happened yet. May I present Miss Seraphine Gardner!"_

_All the men in the joint instantly got to their feet and began clapping hard as the curtains pulled apart to reveal a blond in a red dress holding a silver pistol in one hand. "Hey everyone," she said. "I have a little story to tell y'all tonight. You wanna hear it?" She grinned and pushed some of her bobbed hair out of her big blue eyes. "It's a story about a man who done me wrong. And what I did about it." She blew on the gun and looked at the piano player. "Come on Gus," she said to him. "You know the song." Once the first notes trilled on the piano trilled, she assumed a tragic expression and began to sing._

_"He sleeps out there, out where the coyotes wail The reason he ain't at the bar with the boys Makes quite a dismal tale ... He shouldn't-a, hadn't-a, oughtn't-a swang on me He oughtn't-a, shouldn't-a, hadn't-a, no, siree You don't get many callers Sleeping on the lone prairie But he shouldn't-a, hadn't-a, oughtn't-a swang on me.  
>Way out West we're wild and wooly In order to explain it fully: We're tall grown, all grown, All the men are hairy-chested And all the women, double-breasted We're lady-like until molested, And then we're on our own!<br>He shouldn't-a, hadn't-a, oughtn't-a swang on me. He oughtn't-a shouldn't-a hadn't-a felt so free, His wife gets the the insurance, And I'm sorry as can be, But he shouldn't-a, hadn't-a, oughtn't-a swang on me.  
>This here job is mighty trying, Sometimes the room is fairly flying with High balls, eyeballs One got killed, somebody got 'im Tore up the joint from top to bottom I think I was that one that shot him As near as I recall.<br>He shouldn't-a, hadn't-a, oughtn't-a swang on me. He massacred eight or nine men at the Lazy B! He then took on the sheriff, and the sheriff's deputy, But he shouldn't-a, hadn't-a, oughtn't-a swang on me.  
>All you boys remember Harry The wrangler I was set to marry A long man, strong man One night he yells "I'm from Texas!" And socks me in my solar plexus. Well having normal, good reflexes, I knocked him on his can!<br>He shouldn't-a, hadn't-a, oughtn't-a blacked my eye.I 'm really a lovable, peaceable kind of guy. I wouldn't scare a rabbit and I couldn't harm a flea, But he shouldn't-a, hadn't-a, oughtn't-a swang on me.  
>If this story has a moral, It's: When you're looking for a quarrel or show down; Slow down. If by now, you haven't mastered The gentle art of getting plastered, You're just a Low-Down, you ain't mastered The motto of our town!<br>You shouldn't-a, hadn't-a, oughtn't-a start no fight Our burying ground is a most impressive sight! The message on them tombstones is as simple as can be: He shouldn't-a, hadn't-a, oughtn't-a swang on me He shouldn't-a, hadn't-a, oughtn't-a swang on me." She grinned and winked throughout the song, and all the while, Klaus didn't take his eyes from her._

_As soon as she was done, she came down the steps and grinned at Klaus. "So," she said. "What's a man like you doing in a place like this, Nick?"_

_"Oh," I don't know," he said, kissing her hand. "Maybe I just had to see you again." _

_She grinned. "Well aren't you sweet?" She turned to the bartender. "Rum and Coke, please, Stan." She took it when he passed it to her and gulped it down in one swig. Then she gave Stefan and Anna an appraising look. "Aren't you going to introduce me to your friends?"_

_"Oh, yes," he grinned. "I'm sorry. Sera, this is my sister Anna and..."_

_"No need," Stefan said quickly, "I believe we've already met."_

_"No," Seraphine said. "I don't think we have."_

_"Yes," Stefan insisted. "You were engaged to my brother some years back."_

_"No I wasn't," Sera said. "I think I would know if I was engaged, or married or whatever."_

_"I think you should worry about your friend," Sera said. "He's obviously had a little too much to drink."_

_"I'll make sure I do that," Klaus said. "Meanwhile, would you like to go somewhere where we can be alone?"_

_"Perhaps," she said, looking at him a moment. "I have to show you something in my room."_

_"Oh," He followed her. "What is it?"_

_She opened the door to her sizeable room on the floor underneath the bar. Bodies were everywhere. Most were dead, some were still alive and groaning. "These were the fools that were too drunk to leave after Stan said last call," she grinned. He gazed at the bodies speculatively. "What are ribbons for, darling?" he asked. "The ones around their necks?"_

_She handed him a pair of shears. "Cut one apart and see," she said. "You won't be sorry. He did so and the head just fell right off the body. "The others too?" He asked._

_"Yeah," she nodded. "The others too." She opened a closet door where one man was tied and very much alive. "I left him for you," she said, turning to him. "I knew you were going to come back, so I thought I'd have a present waiting." She watched as he slowly killed the man and with blood dripping down his face and the man's screams still ringing in his ears, he took her in his arms and carried her to the bed, where he made love to her, his fingers slowly tracing a small tatoo of a pink rose that she had on her inner hip. She moaned and clutched him tighter._

_"You don't know how long I've wanted to bury myself inside this tight little body of yours," He whispered in her ear._

_"I know," she said. "Believe me, I know."_

_But that was all. The morning after, the bar was raided for suspected vampires. He left with Anna and he never saw her again._

* * *

><p><em>"<em>Oh, I remember now," Alistair said. "But I still have no idea why you're bringing her up when we're looking for Selina."

"I just thought it was interesting that the killing methods are the same," Klaus said. "right down to the ribbons on the necks of the bodies."

"But you're still getting distracted," Alistair said. "Focus."

Klaus kept driving and then, when they reached the docks, they found a boat surrounded by crime scene tape. "Let's have a look," Klaus said.

"No," Alistair shook his head. "It's not going to do any good."

But Klaus paid no attention, of course and hurried into the boat. It smelled of blood and fresh paint. Bodies were everywhere, each with a dark colored ribbon around their necks. Alistair made to untie one.

"Don't do that," a voice said sharply. "You'll be sorry." They turned. Alistair gasped. "Selina," he whispered. "What are you doing here? What's happened?"

She ignored him and strode over to Klaus, kissing him deeply. "So, Nick," she said. "What's a guy like you doing in a ship like this?"

"How?" he asked her.

She grinned impishly. "I'll tell you later."

*Selina's song is from the movie "The Great Race", originally sung by Dorothy Provine


	32. The Price of Vanity

"Why do we have to wait until later?" Klaus asked. "I'm curious. You _do _know who you are, right? This isn't one of those bouts of amnesia you get sometimes."

She shook her head. "No, of course not. I know exactly who I am. Just like I did back then."

Klaus stepped away a little. "I don't know about that," he said. "How did you get out of the ocean?"

"Hmmm." She laughed a little. "It's a funny story, really. See, I must have been floating at the bottom of that ocean forever. But then somehow, I resurfaced and regained consciousness. This ship found me floundering on a piece of driftwood and they were nice enough to pick me up. Of course, I hadn't eaten for who knows how long so I...kind of lost control, which for some reason brought to mind the _last_ time I really lost control and I just sort of...went with it, you know?"

"No," Klaus shook his head.

"Oh, I do," Alistair said hesitantly. "You aren't going to hurt me, are you?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "I'm better now. Except I have the captain tied up on the bridge. He's the only one left and I knew you two would be coming for me. So I thought I'd say 'thank you'." She paused. "So please explain what I'm doing, Alistair."

"Yes," Klaus nodded. "What's she doing?"

Alistair cleared his throat. "She's dissociating. It's a common neurotic defense mechanism wherein a traumatic event, i.e. Selina killing everyone on this boat is so traumatic for her that her regular state of consciousness can't deal with it so she pretends that someone else did it, or that she wasn't in her right mind or that she doesn't remember the event happening. But you do, don't you?" Alistair looked at her.

"Yeah, I do," Selina said quietly. "But I was hungry, so it wasn't really my fault."

Alistair nodded. "And rationalization. Making excuses so that your error seems reasonable and not wrong at all."

"Are you yelling at me about this, Alistair?" Selina asked. "I can't believe you're yelling at me! I was drugged and tossed into the ocean by Chloe the witch slut because she wanted to sleep with _him_," she pointed at Klaus with a shaking hand. "And then I didn't eat for days and you're scolding me for doing what's supposed to come naturally to me? This is unbelievable." She sat on the floor and crossed her arms.

"I wouldn't," Klaus said, sitting next to her. "I actually find it very hot."

She nodded. "I knew you would." She looked at him. "So, do you want to go upstairs and make slow work of the captain while I watch?"

"But-" Alistair said.

"Oh, shut up," Selina snapped. "I've already passed the point of no return, so what's one more person?"

Alistair rolled his eyes. "I'm going away," he said. "You two just do whatever you want, but remember that Chloe is home with the children."

"What?" Selina asked. "You left the kids with Chloe?"

"There was no one else around," Klaus said. "Besides, they can handle themselves."

* * *

><p>"Who's that woman your daddy brought home?" Helene asked Adrian. "She's not your mother."<p>

Adrian shrugged. "I don't know who she is. But I don't think I like her."

Helene smiled. "Because she keeps calling you 'annoying little boy' instead of Adrian?"

Adrian nodded. "Yes, that's it. Do you think Daddy will be mad at me if I kill her?"

"I don't think you should kill anyone," Helene said. "It's not very nice."

"Who cares about nice?" Adrian told her. "Everyone doesn't have to be nice to everyone."

He opened the bedroom door. The woman turned. But it was a different woman. One he'd seen before. He turned to run, but she grabbed him and tied him to a chair waith ropes soaked in wolfsbane and vervain. They burned his skin. He felt tears running down his cheeks. He screamed.

Then, she grabbed Helene and did the same thing. Except the woman sensed there was nothing super special about her, so Helene was only restrained with ordinary rope. Then the woman left for a moment, locking the door behind her.

"What's going on?" Helene asked. "Who's that?"

Adrian shook his head. "I don't know. I remember her, though. She hurt me before." He screamed again and struggled to get out of the chair while Helene looked on helplessly.

* * *

><p>Klaus was delighted to discover that along with her appearance and demeanor, she'd brought a few other things back during what Alistair called her "dissociative episodes"<p>

"How are you liking your tattoos?" He asked tracing the red rose on her lower back and then turning her over and running his finger down the pink rose on her inner hip.

"They're all right, I guess," she said. "It's not like they're in places where anybody else will see them. And it's a timely reminder that I used to be fun."

"You're still fun!" He said. "But even when we first met, you were still a little lovingly neurotic."

"I was not!" Selina shook her head rapidly.

Klaus grinned. "Oh, yes you were."

_"Hey there, Ace. You got a light?" Klaus turned around to see a woman with short blond hair and startling, narrowed blue eyes staring back at him._ _"Yes," he said. "I think I do." _

_She held her cigarette out and he lit it. _ _"Mind if I sit?" She asked him. "I'm on my break."_

_"Break from what?" He asked. "Waitress?"_

_"No," she shook her head. "Singer. Too clumsy to be a waitress, and that's despite seven years of ballet." She shrugged. "Some people are born to be ballerinas. Some people have it thrust upon them."_

_"I guess," he said. He eyed her speculatively. "You're American," he observed. "What are you doing so far from home?"_

_She exhaled a plume of smoke. "A little this, a little that," she said. "Exploring the world." She turned in her chair. "What about you?"_

_"Expatriate," he replied. "I left Germany after the Kaiser got ousted. I was in his inner circle, you know."_

_"Oh, really?" She said, looking interested. "How'd that work out? Since you don't sound German at all?"_

_"His mother was British," Klaus told her. "Queen Victoria's eldest daughter, Vicky."_

_"Really?" She asked. "I didn't know that." She turned away from him temporarily as the bartender came to ask her order. "Rum and Coke, Stan," she said._ _He nodded. "Yes, Miss Gardner."_

_"Miss Gardner?" Klaus asked._

_She nodded. "Seraphine Gardner. Actually, that's my stage name. I was born Selina Warren, but that doesn't sound much of a stage name, now does it?"_

_"No," Klaus shook his head. He cleared his throat. "Say, Miss Gardner. Are you seeing anyone?"_

_She shook her head. "No. Would you like to see me?"_ _He boldly looked her over. "I believe I would," he said._

_She nodded. "I thought so. All right," she went to rack up at the pool table. "But you'll have to play me first. If you have best out of five, I'll see you tonight."_

_"Promise?" He asked, a slow grin spreading over his face as he downed another brandy._

_"Yes," she nodded. "I promise."_

_"All right," he said. "Let's play. And I won't cheat. I promise."_

Selina snorted. "Why did I believe you even then?" She asked. "I should have known that you were going to be a rat."

He grinned. "Oh, come on. You loved it."

"You cheated!" Selina burst out. "That was the only reason you got to come back, anyway."

He grinned. "But I bet you're glad I did."

_There was a storm that night and the power went out so Selina had to turn the gas lamps on. Even then, the room wasn't very well-lit. Mostly dark, bathed in the occasional orange shadow. Her boss had let her stay in the apartment over the club since she made them the most money, but there were times that she really didn't like being there at night. When she heard the knock on the door, she jumped. "Come in," she called hesitantly._

_The door creaked open and she saw the tall, menacing form on the other side. She choked on a scream just as the power came back on._

_"What's the matter?" He asked, peering behind the bar where she'd hidden. "Scared of me?"_

_"No," she shook her head. "Of course not. Don't be ridiculous. But it would be reasonable if I was, what with the power being out, me being here by myself, and you lurking about in the dark like that and all. Jeepers!" She shuddered._

_"But you remembered that I was coming, right?"_

_"Of course," she nodded. "How could I forget? You cheated to get here, you know."_

_"Well that hurts my feelings," he said. "You should know that I would never cheat."_

_"Trust me," she said. "I know guys like you. My ex-husband and my ex-fiance were two of the worst. My dad left me too, but that wasn't his fault. He was a war casualty."_

_"Great War?" Klaus asked._

_"No," Selina shook her head. "Mwxican American War."_

_"What?" Klaus asked. "But that was almost eighty years ago."_

_"Yeah," she nodded. "It was, wasn't it?"_

_He burst out laughing. "You're one of us? I had no idea!"_

_"I try not to think of it myself," she said dryly._

_"Well, I could help you forget," he said. "At least for the moment, anyway."_

_She scoffed. "Please," she said. "I doubt there's anything you could do." She poured herself a drink and then turned around. He was standing by the pool table. "How about we play a game?" he said. 'Every time you get a ball in the pocket, you undress me a little, and every time I get a ball in the pocket, I undress you a little."_

_"Why don't I just undress now?" She asked. "I know you're going to cheat again."_

_He chalked up his cue. "We could do that," he said. "I wouldn't mind."_

_"No," she shook her head. "I'm not going to make it that easy for you."_

_They played several games and to Selina's surprise, they were pretty evenly matched. Eventually, they both stood naked in front of each other._

_He took her into his arms and kissed her. Initially, she struggled, but he held her fast and eventually she realized that even though she wasn't entirely in control of the situation, that was okay. He lowered her under the pool table and pushed into her. She screamed and the pool table shook. She knew she'd regret this eventually. But at least she'd have a good conquest story to tell Anna in the morning._

"And the next week, you brought Stefan and Anna to the club with you. I almost fainted when I saw her!" Selina laughed. "That was when I wanted to crawl into a hole."

"We were a good bunch, the four of us," he said. "Don't you miss it sometimes?"

"The question isn't whether I miss the old days," Selina said. "But why are we only remembering them now? What happened?"

He shrugged. "I have no idea." He leaned forward to thrust into her again, but she sat up. "We need to get home," she said urgently. "I think the kids are in trouble!"

"What?" Klaus said. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know precisely," Selina said. "I just have a feeling. A strong feeling." They got out of the bed and left the boat, driving back to their house as fast as they could.

* * *

><p>When Klaus and Selina burst into the bedroom door, they saw that Adrian was red, puffy and bleeding and Helene was pale and whimpering. "What's happened here?" Selina asked. "How badly are you hurt?"<p>

"Bad," Adrian sobbed. "Don't touch the ropes, Mommy. They'll hurt you." She just looked at him and shook her head. "I don't care," Selina said. "Somebody has to get them off you, and they won't kill me." She touched the rope and her hands burned.

"Vervain," she growled as she winced. Even so, she manated to untie him and gathered him in her arms as he toppled out of the chair. He was sobbing into her shirt. "She's crazy, Mommy!"

"Who is?" Selina whispered.

At that moment, the door opened. Adrian looked up for a moment, then looked back down again, whimpering. Selina turned. "Vanessa," she whispered. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm surprised you didn't see through my disguise," Vanessa said, pushing her red hair from her face.

"What disguise?" Klaus asked.

"Chloe," Vanessa said simply. "There is no Chloe. I made her up to get close to you." She ran her finger over his cheek. "We had some good times, didn't we? And we could have some more."

"No," Klaus said sharply.

"Exactly," Selina said. "I don't know what your problem is, but you just can't leave us alone now can you? That trick with the ocean was cute. I bet you never thought I'd come back."

"I hoped you wouldn't," Vanessa said, eyeing her with distaste. "But we can fix that right now." She kicked Selina in the ribs and sent her sprawling to the floor.

"Now just a minute!" Klaus began.

"No," Selina said. "Don't worry about me. Take the kids!" She and Vanessa continued to fight while Klaus hid with Helene, Adrian and Alistair in another part of the house. After awhile, they heard a terrible scream, and then a howl. Klaus and Adrian left the room and went back to the bedroom where they found Vanessa gone and a large black wolf pursuing Selina. She was on the bed, trying to hold it away. Klaus turned and the two of them began to fight. Eventually though, the other wolf lost interest and bounded onto the bed, pinning Selina to the mattress. It stood over her, its hot breath on her face. She struggled underneath him, and as he bit down, her scream echoed through the room. Blood soaked the mattress, and when her body was still, the other wolf bounded out the open window. Adrian hesitantly advance toward the bed, touching her. Her body was still. Her gaze straight ahead. He turned to his father. "I think Mommy's dead," he said quietly.

_,_


	33. The Lady in Red

Klaus got down on the floor next to the bed, pulling Adrian to him. "She's not dead," he said. "She's just sleeping."

Adrian gave his father a look, crossing his arms in front of him. "I'm not dumb," he said. "She's not moving. She's dead."

"Not really," Klaus said earnestly, taking Adrian's hand and leading him over to the dresser where they'd kept Selina's uncle's records. "See, your mother's uncle wrote these," he said, gently taking them out. "They tell about werewolves and on this page," he flipped carefully through the fragile pages untile he found the right one. "It says that if a vampire with an uninitiated gene, like your mother before she was bitten, is bitten by a werewolf, they won't die permanently, but only temporarily while the werewolf gene destroys all traces of vampirism in the body. After that, then the vampires own werewolf gene will counteract any negative effects from the bite and the vampire will wake up changed but otherwise unscathed."

"Changed how?" Adrian asked. "Mommy's not going to be a zombie, is she?"

"No," Klaus said. "I think she's going to be human, which will be very useful for us, if I may say so."

"Does it say how long she's going to be 'dead' for?" Adrian asked.

Klaus cleared his throat and looked through the book again until he found a handwritten note from Selina: _dead three days. Have patience_. "Three days it looks like."

Adrian groaned. "That's forever!"

"Oh, you're not kidding!" Klaus said.

"I don't know who has it worse," Adrian told him. "Me or you."

"Oh, me." Klaus said. "Definitely me."

* * *

><p>That night, Klaus went back to his bedroom and stood over the bed where Selina's prone body still lay. He ran a hand over her cheek, and his fingers through her hair. "It wasn't supposed to happen like this," he whispered to her. "I was going to send Adrian to Alistair's, and then you and I were going to have dinner outside, maybe a few drinks. And then go out into the woods and play Little Red Riding Hood, so we'd have a little something for the road, you know? And I know you're going to come back, but I guess that makes the wait all the harder."<p>

He kissed her forehead, and got into bed beside her, shut his eyes, and tried to relax. But the noise made it so difficult. There was an incessant ringing going on next to his head. "Turn it off," he mumbled, feeling himself roll over.

"No problem," said a voice. "It's about time I got ready to go to work anyway." He looked up and gasped. "Oh, my god," he said. Sera, messy blonde hair falling into her eyes, was laying next to him.

"What's the matter with you?" She asked cheerfully. "Are you upset because I have to leave the comfy confines of our bed and go to work?"

"No," He shook his head.

"What is it then?" She asked. "I know you can't be sick, but you're lookin' at me like you've never seen me before, Nicky."

"Oh," he sat up and blinked. "No, I'm fine. Now do you _really_ have to go to work today? Why can't you just call in sick?"

"Because that would be lying," she said, getting out of bed and throwing a while robe over herself. "Besides, work fills me with a sense of accomplishment, something that my lazy mother never had. She was too busy arranging stupid tea parties for the ladies' aid society."

"Ah," he said. "So I take it you and your mother aren't exactly close?"

"You mean 'weren't'" she corrected him. "She's bound to be dead by now. Although I wouldn't be surprised if she were still alive just to irritate me. Anyway, no, we weren't. She wanted a debutante daughter, and she got stuck with me. I think that about sums it up."

She headed into the bathroom and turned the shower on, emerging several minutes later, a fluffly towel wrapped around her body. "You should take yours now," she said. "Before the water gets cold."

"No," he grinned, his eyes still on her. "I think I'll just sit and watch for awhile."

She rolled her eyes. "I don't see what's so fascinating. You've seen everything already." She put a robe on again, sat down and put on her stockings. Once she had all her underclothes on, she turned. "Could I have my blue dress, please?" She asked. "It's in the closet next to my red jacket. You can't miss it."

He tossed it to her and watched her put it on. "You know, it's not like you can't see me when I'm at work," she told him. "Anyone can come by and see the show."

"Well," he said, "I just might have to do that."

"Good," she said. "I'll make sure they save a seat at the bar for you."

"Is it all right if I bring some friends?" He asked her.

She nodded. "Sure. The more the merrier."

"And I have that meeting with the man about the funding for my new business today," he said. "Wish me luck?"

"Yes," she nodded. "And Nicky? Take care of yourself."

He grinned. "Why sure I will. I always do."

"Don't say it like that," she shook her head. "Say it like you mean it!"

He took her hand. "Why I do believe the little lady cares."

She pulled it away, her eyes wide, shaking her head vigorously. "I don't care! I'm just used to you, that's all."

"Ah, of course," he nodded. "Well, I'll be on my way then. See you tonight."

* * *

><p>He arrived at the bar earlier than he'd told Stefan and Anna to meet him. He wanted her to himself for a little while first. He had several drinks before she was free to come to the bar herself, however. Then, she came and sat down beside him. He looked at her with challenge in his eyes. "Have you been here awhile?" She asked.<p>

"Yes," he nodded. "What took you so long, darling?"

"Costume trouble," she shrugged. "It happens."

"Well," he said, "you should have called me. I would have been glad to come and help you out of it."

She scoffed. "I just bet you would."

"What will you have?" Stan asked her.

"Well that depends," she gave Klaus a look. "What has Nick been having, and how many has he had?"

"Martinis," Stan said immediately. "Six of them."

"All right," she nodded resolutely. "That's what I'll have as well then. Six martinis and line them all up right here."

He grinned. "So competitive," he said. He came to stand behind her, holding his arms out.

"What are you doing?" She asked as she picked up the first glass.

"I'm waiting to catch you when you pass out from all that alcohol you're consuming," he said.

She narrowed her eyes. "Are you insinuating I can't hold my alcohol as well as you?"

"Yes," he nodded. "But like I said, you don't need to worry, because I'll be here to catch you when you inevitably pass out on the barroom floor."

She sighed and continued drinking, but as it turned out, he was right. By the time she'd had four, she was so soused she could hardly stand up. He carried her up to her room and put her in bed. She looked up at him. "Are you going to make love to me now?" She asked. "Take advantage of me while I'm vulnerable? It would be just like you."

"Nah," he shook his head. "When I make love to you, I want you to remember it in the morning."

She giggled. "Sorry I'm not fit to meet your friends," she said.

"Don't worry about it," he said. "Some other time." He leaned down to kiss her. "Goodnight," he said. "You'll feel worse in the morning."

"Oh, probably," she nodded, a hand to her forehead. "Goodnight, Nicky."

Klaus opened his eyes and rolled over on his side, groaning. It had all been a dream. She was still dead. He sat up. He had never hated mornings so much.

* * *

><p>The next two days were miserable but somehow, he and Adrian managed to get through them. When he picked up Adrian from school on the third day, he was in an unusually good mood. "Today's the day Mommy wakes up again, isn't it?" Adrian asked as he climbed into the backseat.<p>

"It is," Klaus nodded. "And I'm ready."

"Those are for her, aren't they?" Adrian asked as he noticed the dozen red roses in the passenger seat.

"Yes," Klaus nodded. "Yes they are."

"And I bet I'm going to Alistair's so you and Mommy can be alone," Adrian said.

"It won't be so bad," Klaus said. "Tomorrow, I'll leave so you can be alone with her. Is that fair?"

Adrian shrugged. "I guess," he said, heaving a big sigh.

They drove home and Klaus put the roses on the kitchen table, then he and Adrian raced to the bedroom. "I hope we're not late," Adrian said. "That would be no good." They each took a side of the bed, and watched closely. Selina lay still for a moment, then quite suddenly started, blinked, and opened her eyes, coughing and sputtering and clawing at the air. It took a minute for it all to stop.

"Are you okay?" Adrian asked when she'd finally calmed down. "What were you _doing_?"

"Well," Selina sat up. "Usually when this happens, I've been buried and I have to claw my way out of a coffin while I wait for someone to come dig me up."

"Oh," Adrian nodded. "Are you a zombie?"

"No," Selina said, light in her eyes. "I'm human." She looked at Klaus. "You told him that, right?"

"Yeah, I did," Klaus nodded. "Can I get you anything?"

"Toast?" she said. "And maybe a glass of orange juice."

"All right," Klaus nodded and left the room.

"Are you all right?" Selina asked Adrian, running her fingers through his fine hair.

"Yes," he hugged her. "Thank you for saving me."

She grinned. "That's what I'm supposed to do. But you're welcome."

Klaus returned with her toast and juice a moment later and she inhaled it. "What?" She asked when she noticed their staring. "I haven't eaten for days, okay? Need trumps neatness."

"Did we say anything?" Klaus asked.

"No," she said, narrowing her eyes. "But you were looking at me funny."

Klaus grinned. "Sorry."

"So," Selina said, "now that I'm up and transformed, I suppose you want to get on the road for world takeover attempt number two."

He shrugged. "It can wait awhile. Until you're ready to go. I think I'll go pick up some more stuff from the grocery store. The fridge is practically empty." He looked at Adrian. "Want to come with me and help carry things?"

"Sure," Adrian nodded and they both marched out of the room.

Selina got out of bed and looked down at herself. "Wow," she whispered. "I'm actually wearing pajamas instead of nothing. I'm impressed." She showered and dressed and went to the kitchen, sticking a frozen pizza in the oven, and setting the time according to what it said on the box. Then, she headed to the living room and turned the television on. She was so engrossed in the program however that she didn't hear the oven go off and soon smoke began to snake into the living room and the alarm began beeping.

"Oh, my god!" She cried, running into the kitchen. She grabbed the fire extinguisher out from under the sink and began spraying in a haphazard manner. When everything was out, and the kitchen was covered in while, she got down on her knees on the kitchen floor and covered her face with her hands, taking a deep breath. Then, something came to her.

_She was staying late at the club again, and of course Nick was coming to keep her company. He told he didn't like the idea of her being alone at night in that neighborhood, but he wasn't fooling anyone, especially her. Not that she minded. He was really good in bed. Even she would admit that. She cleaned up around the bar, and this time, when he came in, she was ready for him. "Hey," she said. "Want a drink?"_

_He sat down and grinned. "What do you think?" he asked. She poured him a scotch on the rocks. "It's going to storm again tonight, I think," she said. _

_"I heard that on the radio too," he said, his voice low. "That's another reason why I wanted to come keep you company." She rolled her eyes and came to sit on his lap. "I know exactly why you wanted to come and keep me company," she said. "And it wasn't to be a knight in shining armor." She began kissing down his neck. "More like a highwayman who wants the lone girl in the carriage."_

_He kissed her back and grinned. "You know me so well."_

_When his hands began roaming over her body, she pulled away. "It would be better to do this upstairs," she said. _

_"Lead the way," he told her. They reached her room and immediately proceeded to tear off each other's clothes. Just as they were both about to climax, the power went out again. Rain was lashing the windows and thunder rumbled outside, shaking the bar's foundation._

_"Oh, shit," she whispered. "I think there are candles downstairs. I'll go and get them." Putting a robe on and keeping to the walls, she cautiously made her way downstairs, and came back with the candles and some matches. She placed the candles all over the room and lit each one. Then, she took off her robe and climbed back into bed. It didn't take long for them to get back to where they'd been. They were so involved in one another that they didn't see it happen. With one flail of Selina's body, the candle fell from the bedside table and onto the floor, igniting the comforter. Another fallen candle ignited the curtains. Soon, the whole room was ablaze, and filling with smoke._

_"Oh, my god," Selina said when she finally realized what was going on. "Nicky, the room is on fire! We have to get out!" They sprinted from the room, the upstairs conveniently lit by the fire and made their way to the pitch black downstairs, where they stumbled around aimlessly, crashing into things and knocking them on the floor. They managed to get out of the bar with their lives, but that was all. It was closed the next day, the building, not to mention all the ones down the block, were destoyed by the fire._

* * *

><p><em>She'd stayed with Anna for awhile after that. One day, Nick had come to visit. "We have to go," he'd told Anna in a low voice. "They're coming for us and we don't want to be here when they arrive."<em>

_"Definitely not," Anna shook her head._

"What's going on?" Selina asked.

"We have to leave," Nick told her. "Someone we're anxious to avoid is looking for us. Want to come along?"

She answered immediately. "Of course I do!"

He grinned. "Meet us at the train station tonight. We'll be waiting for you."

_She nodded and went back to her room. But as she packed her things, something crossed her mind. Lots of people had died in the fire. Even more had lost their jobs. And it had been because of her. Her and Nick. Them and their unbridled passions. Did she really want to take a chance on that happening again? Was she that kind of person?_

_She shook her head. No. Taking a shaky breath, she thought that maybe it was time for her to leave too. Go back home and think about what she'd done. The wrongs she'd committed. It was almost 1930 anyway. In a couple of months, it would be. She'd had ten good years. That was enough. Sobbing, she penned a note for both of them, and just before she boarded a much earlier train for Virginia, she left the note with the stationmaster._

"Wow," Selina looked up. "It was all my fault. I wrecked it for both of us." She felt her lip tremble, a tear spilling down her cheek. Then she began to cry in earnest. "Stupid attack of conscience," she groaned. "It ruined my life! I could have been happy! Not a neurotic mess, but really truly happy!" Standing herself up, she ran to the kitchen and grabbed a pair of sheers out of the drawer, chopping her raven locks until they were uneven and ugly. "Oh, god," she cried. "Oh, god."

She got into the car and drove to Anna's. When Anna opened the door, she gasped. "What is with the haircut?" She asked. "Didn't I tell you never to do it yourself? That doesn't end well!" Anna ushered her inside and sat her down at the kitchen table, handing her a mirror to look into while she evened out the ends.

"Hey," Anna said, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Mind if I try something?"

"Sure, whatever." Selina nodded. "It can't be any worse, can it?"

Anna came back with a dye box in hand. "Shut your eyes," she insisted. "I want this to be a surprise."

Selina obediently shut her eyes. When she was told to open them again, she gasped. "Oh, I look just like..."

"Like you used to!" Anna nodded, ruffling Selina's new short blonde hair. "Now we just need to get you the clothes to go with it!"

They went shopping and purchased several dresses, most in red and when they returned home, Selina saw that Klaus and Adrian were back. "I'll go in first," Anna said. "You should make an entrance."

Anna strode into the house and pounded on their bedroom door. "Are you in there, Nick?" She called.

"What is it?" He said when she came in. "What's happened?"

Anna motioned Selin forward. Klaus' jaw dropped. "Ta-da." Anna said. "You like?"

"Yes," Klaus nodded, coming toward Selina and taking her in his arms.

"I think I'll just leave you two alone," Anna said.

Once she closed the door behind her, Klaus immediately picked Selina up and carried her to the bed. "This one was the easiest to get off," Selina said, referring to the dress.

"Yes," Klaus nodded, easing it off her body and running his lips over her, then, to keep the suspense, pausing as he grinned down at her. They were both breathing heavily and she was magnificently naked underneath him.

"Are you going to make love to me now?" She asked. "Take advantage of me while I'm vulnerable? It would be just like you."

"Yes," he nodded. "And you will remember it in the morning. But first," he paused,motioning for herto put on a robe like him and leading her out to the living room, turning on the radio. Chris de Burgh's "Lady in Red" filled the room. He took her in his arms again, twirling her, and they danced around the living room before collapsing in front of the sofa. Then, he just held her, his fingers running through her hair. "I missed you," he said.

She nodded and kissed him. "I missed you too."


	34. As Time Goes By

They woke up the next morning wrapped in each other's arms. She grinned. "This is so nice, Nicky."

"Yes," he nodded. "But unfortunately, now we have to start the day."

"What?" Her eyes widened and put a hand on his forehead. "Are you sick? Pointing that out is usually _my_ job!"

"I know," he nodded. "But it's a lot easier since we can resume our current activities once Adrian's in school."

"Who's turn is it to take him?" She asked. "Yours or mine?"

"I'll do it," he said. "You just recovered from being dead yesterday. You need time to reacclimate."

She rolled her eyes. "You just don't want to be here by yourself while I'm gone," she said.

He nodded. "Well there's that too," he said.

She got out of bed and headed for the shower. "I'm surprised you still want to be near me at all," she said wryly. "What with your 'not-going-near-any-humans-ever' policy. Because that's what I am now, you know."

He nodded. "I know. And since it's partly my responsibility and a necessary step for us to take over the world, I'm not going to complain too much."

"You want to come into the shower with me?" she asked, her hand paused on the doorknob.

He shook his head. "I don't think it would be wise for us to get distracted. That might make Adrian late for school and you frown on that, remember?"

She nodded. "Oh, all right. I get your point, I just thought I'd ask." She went into the bathroom and turned the shower on, stepping inside and letting the warm water caress her body. Absentmindly, she began humming a tune. She didn't quite know where she'd heard it, but she got it stuck in her head from time to time. The sound penetrated the other side of the bathroom door. Klaus heard it and he froze.

That song. He hadn't heard it in ages. And the last time...he didn't want to think about the last time. Chicago, 1942. Nevertheless, the thoughts came in a crashing deluge anyway. Pretty soon, he no longer saw the white bedroom wall next to the oak armoire by the bathroom door, but instead found himself sitting on a bar stool, a line of empty scotch glasses in front of him. He was wearing black slacks and a white suit jacket with a white bow tie. His head hurt. The neon lights were making him dizzy. Suddenly, he felt a hand at his elbow.

"Haven't you had enough?" The voice was firm and sharp.

"What?" He asked, blinking and trying to get the blurry room back into focus. He turned and saw Alistair looking back at him.

"Haven't you had enough?" He repeated, in a tone that clearly said that he _had_ had enough.

"No," Klaus burst out laughing, a grating, bitter sound. "I haven't, see? All the scotch and gin in the world wouldn't be enough. Not now." He looked at the bartender and pushed his empty glass towards him. "More of the same, Sam. And hurry."

"No!" Alistair snatched up the glass and pulled Klaus to his feet. "What is going on with you? You haven't been acting like yourself lately, and while normally I'd be relieved because the poor human citizenry around here could use a rest, I'm concerned."

"It's nothing, Alistair," Klaus shook his head. "Just the past coming back to haunt me. I saw her again."

"Who?" Alistair asked.

"Don't make me say her name," Klaus shook his head. "You _know_ who."

"Are you sure?" Alistair asked. "It's been years. You could be mistaken."

"No," Klaus shook his head. "Sera may not be a blonde anymore, but it was definitely her. She probably came back just to mock me."

"Or maybe she just came for a drink and this has nothing to do with you," Alistair said calmly.

"That can't be," Klaus shook his head. "There are dozens of places to get a drink in this city. Of all the gin joints in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine. It can't be just by chance. There has to be a reason, and I'm going to find out what it is!"

He pushed Alistair roughly aside and strode over to where she sat in a prim pastel purple suit and matching hat. "What are you doing here?" he growled.

She took a sip of her usual rum and Coke and then looked up at him calmly. "Well, hello there. I was wondering how long it would take you to come storming over here once I arrived." She paused. "How are you doing, Nick? Not walking too steadily. You've been drinking again, haven't you? I hope I'm not the cause." Her blue eyes were deceptively innocent.

He felt like smacking her. But he knew he couldn't. Not here.

"Have a seat," she said. "You look like you're _dying _to say something."

"Are you?" He asked. "I believe you have more cause to say something than I do."

She sighed. "No, I don't. I know what you want to hear. You want me to explain why I wasn't at the train station. Well, I can't tell you that. There's no good answer. At least none that will be satisfactory to you."

He stood up quickly, knocking the chair to the floor. "Well that's convenient," he snapped.

She stood up, frowning. "Look. It's not like I left without a word. The note said everything I felt I_ could_ say. Anything else, well, you wouldn't understand."

The vein in his forehead was pulsing now. "What kind of a fool do you take me for?" He asked. "There was someone else, wasn't there?"

She shook her head. "No, Nicky. Of course not. I just..." She trailed off and sighed. "Look, I didn't come in here to cause trouble, but it seems like that's exactly what I've done. I'll be going now." She put a twenty dollar bill in his palm and made her way toward the door. He followed her and was standing behind her when she paused, a white-gloved hand on the doorknob. "This is what's best," she said, not looking him in the eye. "And Nicky...I'm sorry, for whatever it's worth."

"Nothing," he snapped. "It's not worth anything. Just go away." He grabbed her by the shoulders, forcing her to look him in the eyes. "But first," he said, "Don't ever come looking for me. Forget you ever met me. If and when I ever feel like speaking to you again, I'll come looking for you. Understand me?" He gave her a shake for emphasis.

She nodded, and left the club. It was the last time he ever saw her until he'd arrived in Mystic Falls.

After she was gone, he collapsed into a chair. "Alistair!" He croaked after a minute. "Come here!"

"What?" Alistair asked. "What's all the shouting about?"

"I sent her away," he said. "I told her to forget she ever met me and to not come looking for me."

"Why did you do that?" Alistair asked. "You love her!"

He laughed bitterly. "No," he said. "I don't love anyone. Especially not her. Nothing should end the way we did."

"It wasn't all bad," Alistair said. "You'll always have Paris. And on days when you're feeling less bitter, I hope you'll remember that."

* * *

><p>"Nicky?" He looked up at the sound of her voice and blinked. "Are you all right?" She was wearing a light blue sundress with dark blue flowers on it and looking at him with concern. "Oh," he stumbled over his words for a moment. "Sure," he said. "I'm just dandy. Would you mind taking Adrian to school? I just...I need..."<p>

"It's okay," she said. "You go ahead and rest."

There was a knock on the bedroom door a few minutes later. "Come in," Selina called. "It's okay."

"It's time to leave for school..." Adrian saw Selina and froze. "Who are _you?"_ He asked, looking at her in surprise.

"You know who I am," she said, giving him a hug. "Aunt Anna fixed up my hair yesterday and then we went shopping. Do I really look that different?"

"Yes," Adrian nodded. "But very pretty."

She grinned. "Thanks. Now let's get you to school."

He followed her out to the car and when they were on the road, she looked at him and said, "so what are you learning today?"

"We have a math test," he said.

"Did you study?" She asked.

"Yes," he nodded. "You told me last time not to compel the teacher, so I won't."

"Good," she nodded. "I'm proud of you."

"You seem like you've recovered from being dead," he observed.

She grinned wryly. "Well you may find this hard to believe, but that wasn't the first time that's happened to me." She paused. "You're not going to take advantage now that technically you're stronger than I am, are you?"

He grinned. "Hey, that's right! I forgot!" He rubbed his hands together. "What evil things should I do now?"

"Nothing," she said. "You will do nothing."

He nodded. "I know, Mommy. I was just kidding." He paused. "This is the part where you tell me to stop sounding like Daddy."

She grinned and ruffled his hair. "Well you know the speech so well now that I don't think I even_ need_ to say it."

They drove up to the front of the school and parked just as Helene and Astrid came toward them.

"And how are you?" Astrid asked her. "Does it feel good to be amongst the living again?"

"Oh, yes," Selina nodded. "I hate being dead. It's so annoying." They watched Adrian and Helene walk side by side toward the school room and once they were out of sight, got in their cars and went back home.

* * *

><p>When Selina got home, she strode back into their bedroom, where Klaus was still lying on the bed and sulking. "What's wrong with you?" She asked, climbing next to him. "You're Mr. Moody this morning."<p>

"It's your fault," he said, sitting up quickly.

"Why?" Selina asked. "What did I do?"

"You left me," he snapped. "And you won't tell me why!"

"Left you? What...?" Then, it dawned on her. "You mean at the train station?"

"Yes at the train station!" he said. "What other time was there!"

"I had a good reason for leaving." She said.

"I doubt it," he said. "I think there was somebody else and you just didn't want to tell me. You were being cowardly."

Selina shook her head. "No," she said quietly. "You couldn't be more wrong. That wasn't it at all."

"Well then what was it?" He asked, getting down on his knees in front of the bed. "What was it that made you leave?"

She rolled her eyes. "You're going to think it's stupid."

"I don't care," he insisted. "Just tell me."

She was silent and then said at last, "I had an inconvenient attack of conscience. That's why I couldn't go with you."

"What the hell does that mean?" He yelled.

"Think of all the people who died in that fire we started," she said quietly. "And all the people who lost their jobs. I couldn't be responsible for something like that again. And I knew that if I stayed with you and Anna, if I let my selfish needs and wants control me, it would happen again. So I left."

"Oh...wait..." he held a hand up. "Let me see if I understand this. You left me because of an accident that could have happened to anybody? It's nothing to feel bad about! People probably have sex and burn things down every day! And when you were thinking about all the guilt another accident would cause you, did you ever stop to think about how your leaving would make _me _feel?"

"Oh, yes," she nodded sarcastically. "Of course, Nick. Because _every_ facet of my being is concerned with you. I just could not exist a day if you were no longer in my life. Without you, I'm nothing." She rolled her eyes.

He was breathing hard now. His eyes were blazing. She knew that he wanted her to be scared of him, but she just giggled and stuck out her tongue instead. That seemed to send him off the deep end. She got off the bed and made a run for it. He followed, chasing her out the back door and into the yard. Once his feet touched grass, he transformed. When she heard the growling behind her, she ran faster. She knew that as a human, she should be terrified that the beast pursuing her could kill her with a single bite, but it just made her more excited. She weaved in and out of the trees, hoping to distract him, but he was undeterred, leaping over logs and tree roots as if they were nothing. Eventually, she felt herself beginning to tire, but she knew she couldn't stop until it was absolutely necessary. She wouldn't be beaten lying down.

He finally caught her deep in the woods. As she lay on the ground and he leaned over her, his blue eyes still blazing, she said quietly, "feel any better?"

"No," he shook his head. "I still want to rip you to pieces."

She smiled saucily. "You know," she said, "there are other things we could do that are so much more enjoyable." She leaned forward and kissed him. But he cut it off rather abruptly, stood up, and pulled her to her feet, dragging her back to the house and tying her up in the basement. Then he went upstairs and got himself a drink.

* * *

><p>When Adrian returned from school, he found Klaus at the kitchen table. "Can I talk to you about something?" he asked hesitantly.<p>

"Sure," Klaus nodded. "What about?"

"Girls," Adrian said, blushing a little.

Klaus nodded. "All right," he said, his voice slurring a little. "Here's what you need to know about girls: they're all evil, all right? They tell you they love you and that they want to run off with you and be with you forever and then at the last minute, they have an 'attack of conscience' and disappear."

"Are you all right?" Adrian asked. "Where's Mommy? Maybe I should talk to her."

"No," Klaus shool his head and put a restraining hand on Adrian's wrist. "That's the last thing you should do. Everything she'd tell you is a lie."

"Why?" Adrian asked.

"Because," Klaus said, "women are sneaky, conniving and evil! That's why, as men, we always have to stay one step ahead, do you understand me? We have to anticipate their every move and stop them before they ruin everything!"

"I don't get it," Adrian said.

"Oh," Klaus nodded. "You will. Eventually, some cursed female, full of wit and charm with really great legs and a body that would make a priest knock out a stain glass window, will tell you a bunch of lies. You'll believe them and then spend the rest of your life paying for it. Now what was it you wanted to tell me?"

"Oh, nothing," Adrian said, backing away. "It's just that Helene kissed me during recess today."


	35. Little Anthony

Klaus' eyes widened. "What? How did that happen?"  
>Adrian shrugged. "I don't know. We had a math test and I got all the answers right, and when I showed it to Helene, she just kissed me." Adrian looked at Klaus uncertainly. "Does that mean I have to marry her?"<br>Klaus burst out laughing. "No. No, it doesn't."  
>"Oh," Adrian let out a sigh of relief. "That's good." He paused. "Does Mommy kiss you when you do good things?"<br>Klaus smirked. "Good things, bad things...mostly bad things."  
>"I don't get it," Adrian said.<br>Klaus nodded. "Good. Someday you probably will, though."  
>"Where <em>is<em> Mommy?" Adrian asked.  
>"In the basement," Klaus said. "I think I'll go down and get her."<br>He headed down to the basement where he found that she'd untied herself. He didn't see her until she spoke.  
>"You know, Nicky," she said from the sofa, "you really are the strangest person."<br>"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked.  
>"Well, you want physical affection from me, but then you always push me away."<br>"I never do that," he protested.  
>"Yes you do, Mr. 'Get-Mad-At-Me-In-Chicago-And-Compel-Me-To-Forget-You'."<br>"Well can you blame me?" He said. "That was the worst apology and you still left anyway."  
>She narrowed her eyes. "You could have made me stay, you know. And just for my information, what <em>would<em> a proper apology have looked like?"  
>"Well," he said, "You would have told me you were sorry, and then we would have gone out to my car and..."<br>He found himself in the backseat of his black 1942 Cadillac. She was with him. They began kissing as he stripped off her clothes. They were both breathing hard, and she said "Oh, Nicky, how could I have left a virile, handsome man like you? I've been so foolish..."  
>She burst out laughing, shattering his thoughts. "Do you honestly think I would talk like that? I can't believe you!"<br>"Well it wouldn't hurt," he said, taking her underneath him. She grinned and kissed him anyway. "So I take it you aren't mad at me anymore?" She asked.  
>"No," he said. "Something distracted me. And you won't believe it when you hear it."<p>

"Well what is it?" She asked.

Just then, Adrian burst into the basement and Selina quickly sat up. "What is it, Adrian?" She asked.

"I got 100 percent on my math test, see?" He said, handing it to her. She looked it over and her eyes lit up. "All these answers are right!" She said in amazement.

"They usually are if the paper is 100 percent," Klaus said.

"Oh, but he usually compels the teacher to give him full marks anyway, so this is new," Selina said without looking at him.

"Well that's clever," Klaus grinned and slapped Adrian on the back.

Selina looked up and shook her head. "No it's not. Anyway," She stood up and gave Adrian a hug, kissing him on the cheek.

"See?" Adrian said. "That's exactly what Helene did at at recess!"

"What?" Selina asked. "Helene kissed you?"

"Uh-huh," Adrian nodded.

Selina grinned and ruffled his hair. "That is so cute!" She looked at Klaus. "And that means he beat you by what? Ten years?"

"Five," Klaus said. "Just five."

"Is anybody home?" called a voice from upstairs.

"It's Astrid!" Adrian said. "And that means she's got Helene with her! Where should I hide?"

"Why would you want to hide?" Klaus asked.

"In case she wants to kiss me again!" Adrian said in exasperation. "It was just too weird!" He shuddered. "Tell Helene I'm not here!"

Selina just rolled her eyes. "Let's go upstairs," she said to Klaus as Adrian hid behind the sofa.

* * *

><p>"Hello, you two," Astrid said. "We weren't interrupting anything, were we?"<p>

"No," Selina shook her head.

"Where's Adrian?" Helene asked. "He was acting weird in the car on the way here and I wanna know why."

"It could have something to do with the fact that you kissed him at recess," Astrid said.

"But that didn't have anything to do with anything," Helene said. "I was just expressing pleasure that he got a good grade on a paper without cheating."

"Yes, well, he has a thought you might just want to do it again, so he's avoiding you," Selina said.

"Well I don't," Helene said. "And I think I'll go and tell him. Where is he?"

"Cowering behind the couch downstairs," Klaus said.

"Thank you," Helene replied and made her way down to the basement.

When she opened the basement door, she was greeted by silence. Then she tiptoed over to the sofa, her black mary janes making no sound on the carpet. Then, she carefully climbed on the sofa and peered behind it where Adrian was curled up in a ball. "What are you doing?" She asked, giggling a little when he jumped. "Your mommy says you're hiding from me."

"Yeah," Adrian nodded. "So you don't kiss me again!"

"I wasn't ever going to," Helene said. "That was only cause I was happy you got a good grade on the math test. I'm not in love with you or anything. In fact, there's somebody else I like, so there!"

"Who's that?" Adrian asked.

"Oh," Helene said slyly, turning so she was sitting on the sofa and looking away from him. "Just Anthony Snyder."

"What?" Adrian stood up. "He's a dork!"

"No he's not!" Helene said. "He's a lot nicer than you, and he's a lot smarter too. So there!" She stuck out her tongue.

"I don't care," Adrian said. "Do what you want. It's none of my business."

"Good," Helene said primly. "Now that we've got that straightened out, I think I'll go upstairs. You have a good time down here by yourself."

"I will," Adrian said. "A lot more fun than _you."_

_"_Fine," Helene said, going up the basement stairs. "Goodbye."

"So what's the verdict?" Selina asked.

"I don't think he's going to come up," Helene said. "He's all huffy for some reason."

"And you don't know what that is?" Selina asked.

Helene shook her head. "Certainly not."

* * *

><p>"You're right," Adrian said to Klaus that evening. "Girls <em>are <em>evil."

Klaus took Adrian onto his lap. "And how did you come to that conclusion?"

"Well," Adrian said, "first they kiss you, and then they're all 'I don't even like you. I like Anthony Snyder instead'."

"And who's Anthony Snyder?" Klaus asked.

Adrian tensed. "He wears vests and likes math and reads for fun. He's a dork."

"So you want Helene to like you?" Selina asked, coming into the living room. "Even though you were hiding from her today cause you were afraid the two of you were getting too close?"

"No I don't want her to like me!" Adrian cried, looking revolted. "Girls are gross!" He paused. "No offense, Mommy."

Selina grinned. "None taken, honey."

"Good," Adrian nodded. "I'm going to bed."

"'Night!" Selina called after him. She turned to Klaus. "I was just thinking about something, Nicky," she said. "Maybe we should get him into sports. He could make friends that way." She paused. "Not to mention channeling all his aggression into smacking a ball instead of the walls or my antique Chinese vases."

He nodded. "I agree."

"You do?" Selina asked in surprise."

"Yes," Klaus told her. "It's a good idea. I think it would be good for his confidence to see that he's superior to all the other children."

"Oh, yes," Selina rolled her eyes. "Because he's got _terrible_ confidence right now."

Klaus took her into his lap and kissed her. "Speaking of which," he said, "would you like to help me with _my _confidence?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "I'm not going to say any of the stuff you want me to say. It's implied!"

He carried her to their bedroom. "I tell you you're pretty. The least you could do is return the favor."

"You want me to tell you you're pretty?"

"No," he said, putting her down on the bed. "You know what I mean."

She turned away from him. "No," she said.

He got in next to her. "What is this aversion you have to giving me compliments?"

"Simple," she turned to face him. "You don't need any. You're already full of yourself as it is."

"Oh, come on," he said, kissing her again. "You have two options. You can either compliment me voluntarily, or else I'll just have to force a compliment out of you."

"Oh, really?" She said, her eyes twinkling. "I'd enjoy seeing you try."

"All right," he said, cuffing her as she giggled. "If you want to do things the hard way, that's your prerogative."

They began to tussle, her moans and squeaks shaking the bed, but just before she was about to experience release, everything stopped. She opened her eyes and stared up at him. "What did you stop for?" She asked, moaning. "Because it's really bad timing."

He grinned down at her. "You know what you have to do," he said.

"Haven't I already said enough?" She asked. "Have you been paying any attention to the things I've been shouting?"

He heaved an exaggerated sigh. "I suppose," he said. "But you know, I just, I just don't feel appreciated."

"Well what do I have to do?" She whimpered. "Compare you to God?"

"Maybe," he shifted and she whimpered again. She was so close. She really hated him right now.

She narrowed her eyes. "I really hate you right now."

He ran his fingers through her hair. "Now darling," he said, "that's not what I want to hear." He took her hand and began nipping her fingers.

She winced. "Would you just..."

"You know what you have to say," he said.

"Oh, all right!" She groaned. "You're good! The best damn guy I've ever gone to bed with! After I left Chicago, I cried myself to sleep every night because I was so lonely. I-"

He thrusted and she burst out laughing. "God, that's good! Yes! Yes!"

As she calmed, he began kissing down her neck. "There," he said. "Was that so hard? And by the way, God's too formal. Nicky's fine." He grinned as she narrowed her eyes at him.

"You know," she said severely. "This is the sort of thing that makes people resentful and angry."

"Oh," he said, "you're not resentful and angry. You like me. Admit it."

"I suppose I do," she said. "Despite the fact that you're generally reprehensible, you have some redeeming qualities, I guess."

"Uh-huh," he nodded. "And I just demonstrated one of them, didn't I?" He kissed her again.

"Well, um," she nodded. "Yeah, yeah you did." She leaned up to kiss him again. He grinned. She always acted resentful when he realized how good she thought he was in bed. It was part of their little dance, and it never lasted long.

He began to kiss down her stomach. "And would you like me to continue demonstrating it until we both become so exhausted we can't keep our eyes open?"

She grinned. "Oh, yes please."

* * *

><p>The next morning, the ride to school was silent. Adrian sat in the passenger seat next to Selina and Helene sat by herself in back. Selina tried to start conversation a few times, but each time failed, so finally she decided to leave it alone. When they drove up, Selina saw a boy wearing a vest with glasses and a book under his arm standing on the sidwalk in front of her usual parking spot. "How nice," Helene said from the backseat. "Anthony told me he had a book I'd find interesting and that he'd give it to me before school started. He's probably been waiting for me since he got here."<p>

"Well yay for him," Adrian said. "Nobody cares."

"Adrian be nice," Selina said.

"Fine," Adrian rolled his eyes. He got out of the car and grabbed his book bag out of the backseat and went to follow Anthony and Helene toward the school building. They were standing awfully close together. He ran to catch up to them, forcing himself between them. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"We're discussing this book," Anthony said, holding it up. "It's about daily life in America during the Civil War. I doubt you'd be interested, though. You're not really an intellectual type, so it might have big words you wouldn't understand." He turned back to Helene and continued talking as the muscles in Adrian's arms tensed. He pushed Anthony to the ground and began to beat up on him. Finally, he was still, his eyes on the book that had fallen to the floor. He slowly brought his arm up and as Adrian smugly turned and walked away, the book slowly rose from the ground where it had fallen and flew through the air, hitting Adrian squarely on the back of the head and knocking him out cold.

"Oh, my goodness!" Helene said as Adrian fell to the ground. "What did you do that for?"

Anthony stood up slowly. "He was thinking bad thoughts about me. I don't like it when people think bad thoughts about me." He grinned after a moment and offered Helene his arm. "School awaits," he said. "Shall we?" And he marched her off to the school building without giving Adrian another glance.


	36. Happy Birthday

Helene didn't see Adrian again until after lunch. He'd spent most of the morning hiding out in the nurse's office.  
>"There you are," she said when she saw him. "Where have you been? You missed class."<br>He glared at her. "Well I was kind of unconscious on the sidewalk. Thanks to your boyfriend, anyway."  
>Helene sucked in a breath. "He's not my boyfriend. He's my friend. And if you weren't such a pain in the butt, maybe you'd have some friends so you wouldn't spend all your time sticking your nose in where it doesn't belong!" She grabbed her books and started walking away.<br>"I don't need friends," he said, following her. "My daddy doesn't have any and he's all right."  
>Helene rolled her eyes. "Not according to your mommy he isn't." She stalked off and didn't speak to him again until they got back to Klaus and Selina's after school<p>

* * *

><p>"So," Selina said, "how was school today?"<br>"Adrian got in a fight," Helene said promptly. "He beat up Anthony and Anthony knocked him out with a book."  
>Selina frowned. "Adrian, why are you starting fights with people? You know I don't like that!"<br>"But he knocked me out!" Adrian whined.  
>"Yes, well if you started something with him, I don't blame him," Selina said. She sighed. "This is what happens when I let your father run your life. He makes you completely dysfunctional." She turned. "I think I'll call Anothy's mother and the two of us will go and see them. Then you two can tell each other you're sorry. Maybe you'll even become friends."<br>"But-" Adrian squeaked.  
>"But nothing," Selina said. "That's what's going to happen and I don't care if you like it or not!" She stalked off.<p>

Adrian just strode after her. "I hate to disappoint you, Mama. But that's not going to happen. Daddy won't let it. He says friends are lame and stupid and get in the way."

She turned. "Oh, it'll work. Believe me."

She disappeared into their bedroom and Adrian turned to Helene, who just shook her head and said, "Looks like you're going to be getting yourself a new friend."

Adrian just grinned. "There's nothing Mommy can do that'll make Daddy change his mind. I'm not worried."

* * *

><p>Selina snuck into the bedroom and shut the door behind her. Klaus was in bed watching television. She walked over to the bed and climbed up beside him. "Hey, Studly," she grinned.<p>

He sighed. "What is it that you want?" He asked.

She shook her head and began rubbing his shoulders. "Who says I want something?"

He smirked. "Because, darling, as we've previously discussed, you don't compliment me unless there's something in it for you."

"Well I learned from the best," she replied.

He grinned to himself and turned over so he was on top of her.

"So what is it?" He asked.

"Nothing much," she said, kissing his neck. "I was just thinking that it would be nice for Adrian to have some friends. Be more sociable."

"Why?"

"Well," she said, "just because. I think it would be a good idea. We live among normal people and..."

"Stop right there," Klaus said. "That reasoning never works. And it's all the more reason to keep him away."

"You were all right with him doing sports," Selina said. "How is my facilitating things so he makes a few friends any different?"

"Because it just is," Klaus said firmly. "Friends get in the way. They can decide they like someone else better and dump you and..."

"Awww," Selina said, running fingers through his hair. "Just because your one experience with having a friend went horribly wrong doesn't mean it will for Adrian."

"It might," he said. "You don't know."

"Yes I do," Selina nodded. "He can be a very nice little boy when he wants to be, so I see no reason why he should have to worry about being abandoned. And don't you go telling him your horror stories either." She paused, a small grin spreading over her face. "How about this," she said. "Don't think of them as his friends. Think of them as people who look to him because he's so much better than everyone else and want to bask in his glory. Is that better? Huh?"

He nodded. "A little contrived, but better, yes."

"And knowing him, he'll probably seek out people that are more timid than him and they'll eventually become his minions anyway," Selina continued. "I hope that doesn't happen, but I won't be surprised if it does."

Klaus shut his eyes. "Damn."

"What?" She asked.

"You have a good point. I hate it when you have a good point."

She just grinned. "I know you do," she said.

"Just out of curiosity," he said, "what inspired this sudden urge for him to make friends?"

"According to Helene, he got into a fight today, and apparently he got as well as he gave. She said he spent the whole morning hiding out in the nurse's office. I just think that if he had better social skills and knew how to deal with his peers, stuff like that wouldn't happen."

Klaus' eyes widened. "He lost a fight and then cowered?" He got off her and strode out of the room, glaring at Adrian, who stood with Helene on the other side of the door. "Why did you lose a fight?" Klaus asked him. "How in the world could you lose a fight?"

"Because Anthony's a freak," Adrian said.

Klaus closed his eyes. "So not only did you lose a fight, but you lost it to a boy who wears sweater vests and likes math and reads for fun?"

"Technically it's not his fault," Helene said. "Anthony has powers."

"What kind of powers?" Klaus asked her.

"Well, he can levitate things, and make things disappear, and..." she ticked off a whole bunch of things that Anthony could do.

"So he's magical," Klaus said.

"Sort of," Helene nodded. "His powers are mental, though, rather then from a spellbook."

Klaus turned to Adrian. "I think it would benefit you to do as your mother says."

"What?" Adrian asked. "That's not what you're supposed to say!"

"It could be a good opportunity for you," Klaus said. "And it probably won't take very long to go over and apologize. I bet you'll be home in half an hour."

He ruffled Adrian's hair and then went off toward the dining room, whistling softly through his teeth.

Adrian turned to Helene. "Wow. I seriously overestimated my mother."

* * *

><p>The following week, Adrian and Selina went over to Anthony's house. His mother met them at the door. "So lovely to see you," she said. She had short red hair, a thin build, and rosy cheeks. "I'm sorry about this," she said to Selina. "Anthony's really a very sweet boy."<p>

"He wasn't so sweet when he hit me with that book," Adrian said.

Anthony's mother whimpered. "I hope he didn't hear you say that. You must never say bad things about Anthony."

"Why not?" Adrian asked.

Anthony's mother led them inside to the living room where an old woman was in a chair, rocking idly back and forth, back and forth. Her expression was blank. "That's my sister," Anthony's mother whispered. "She and Anthony used to be close, but one day she dared to express dislike of what Anthony was watching on television and insist that he change the channel to something else, and she hasn't been able to utter an intelligent word ever since. And it's just ravaged her."

"Oh, dear," Selina said. At that moment, Anthony came in, clutching something in his hand that was struggling to free itself. "What's that?" Asked his mother.

"It's a frog-rat," he said. "It has the head of a frog and the body of a rat. Isn't it great?"

His mother tried hard not to wince. "Yes," she finally choked out. "Yes, Anthony. It's very good you did that." She looked at Selina and Adrian. "Look," she said to Anthony. "Look who came to visit you."

Anthony gave Adrian a sour look. "I don't like you," he said. And as Selina watched in shock, Adrian disappeared. Then, Anthony smiled with satisfaction and walked away.

"Where did he go?" Selina whispered hesitantly after a moment. "Where's Adrian?"

"Probably to the field," Anthony's mother whispered back. "That's where he sends everything that displeases him."

She led Selina down the main hallway of the house and knocked on the first door she saw. "David," she said. "David, will you come here a moment, please?"

A moment later, the door opened. "What is it, Mom?" He asked.

His mother indicated Selina. "Your brother has put her son in the field. Would you take her there and make sure he gets out safely?"

David, who was an exact copy of his brother, bit his lip grimly and nodded. "Of course," he said. "Come with me."

Selina followed David to a nearby field that was covered with mounds of disturbed earth as if several things were buried there.

"Where is he?" Selina asked. "Which mound?"

David began to walk around until he stopped next to a hole far away from the others. Selina heard screaming. "He's in the hole, isn't he?"

"Yes," David nodded. "You'll have to help me get him out, though. I can't do it by myself."

"Oh, yes," Selina nodded. "Of course." They began to dig furiously and then eventually pulled Adrian out of the grave-shaped hole where he'd been put. He was dirty and coughing and on the verge of tears when Selina set eyes on him again, hugging him tightly.

"Thank you," she said to David.

He sighed. "It's no problem. But now you have to leave and promise you'll never come back here. Or worse might happen."

Selina nodded and hurried Adrian back to the car. They drove away, and when they arrived home, Adrian took a shower, then hid in his room and wouldn't come out for the rest of the day.

* * *

><p>Despite the fact that he never again visited Anthony's house, Anthony continued to view Adrian as a threat. It got worse as he, Adrian and Helene hit their teen years.<p>

"So are you going to come back with me today after school?" Adrian asked Helene one day at lunch.

"I don't think so," Helene shook her head. "Anthony and I have an assignment we have to do for biology and it'll probably take most of the day."

"Why did you even want to be with him for that project?" Adrian snapped. "You and I are in the same class!"

"Well yes," Helene nodded. "I know that. But the one time I was partnered with you for a project, you gave up right in the middle of it and made me do all the work. Whenever I'm with Anthony, it's truly a partnership. Besides, you have David to help you along, don't you? You wouldn't get the good grades you do if it wasn't for him."

Adrian ignored this. "And you do realize that the biology project isn't due for another week? You still have time. Let yourself live a little!"

There was the sound of someone clearing his throat. Adrian saw a hand suddenly appear on Helene's shoulder. "There will be time for fun after we finish our work," Anthony said coolly. "Not everyone has the same lax views about their education that you do."

As Adrian glowered at him, Anthony looked at Helene. "If you've finished eating," he said, "I've found some lovely specimens for us to have a look at."

"You have?" Helene asked. "That's great! It could be the starting point for our project!"

"But-" Adrian said.

"Sorry," Helene told him quickly. "I have to do this. But I'll make it up to you, I promise."

She left and Adrian was all alone at the table for a moment. Then Anthony's brother David plunked a try down across from him. "Hi," he said. "What's wrong?"

Adrian frowned. "Didn't you just see Helene leave with your brother? I hate him so much."

"I know you do," David said. "But he likes Helene, and there's nothing we can do about it."

"It's just that tonight's my birthday and she's kind of the only other friend I have besides you and..."

"I could come over," David said. "It would be no problem, really. There's a full moon tonight and I've been waiting for..."

"What?" Adrian asked. "It's a full moon tonight?"

David nodded, looking shocked as Adrian sprinted from the cafeteria and followed after Anthony and Helene. "You have to come to my house tonight," he told her.

"Why?" She asked. "It has to be really important."

"It is," Adrian said. "It's my birthday...and a full moon."

"Oh, my god," Helene said. "That means that tonight..."

"Yes," Adrian nodded. "The werewolf curse my mother had put off eight years ago finally activates tonight."


	37. The First Time

"You do know what day it is," Klaus asked as he came into the bathroom.

"Of course I know," Selina said, not looking at him. "I have better reason to remember what day it is then you."

Klaus rolled his eyes. "So are we going to do anything, or is it straight to the basement with him?"

Selina turned. "What do you mean?" She asked.

"Well," Klaus said, "naturally you won't want Adrian preying on an unsuspecting populous, so once it gets dark, will it be straight to the basement with him?"

She sighed. "No," she said. "Of course not. What would make you think that?"

"Well naturally I assume, knowing you as I do, that you won't want Adrian to kill people or be a danger to them, or any of that nonsense, despite the fact that it _is _in his nature, so I know you're going to lock him up. Keep him restrained."

He stood with his arms crossed against his chest, giving her a knowing look.

"Well you just think you know everything, don't you?" She asked. "Well, as a matter of fact, I wasn't thinking of locking him up. I was thinking of letting him decide what he wants to do with himself." She smiled bitterly. "If I just locked him up without asking his thoughts on the matter, it would make me an awful hypocrite, wouldn't it? Or worse, it would make me my mother."

"Oh, yes," Klaus said, putting his arms around her. "Back to the mommy issue."

"It's a good point," she said. "A sound one. One you should be grateful for because her holding back on me is the only reason why I'm with you now in the first place."

"You're bitter all of a sudden," he said. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing," she said, her voice tight. "Nothing is the matter. Can we just leave it alone?"

"You want to lock him up, don't you?" Klaus asked.

"Yes, all right?" She burst out, her eyes flashing. "I want to lock him up!" She turned and plowed her fist into the wall, but it didn't make a mark. "Damn!" She cried. "That hurt!

Klaus took her fist and kissed it. "You're human, remember? You can't do things like that anymore."

"Maybe," she said, breathing hard. "But I can still drink, can't I?"

"Oh, yes," he nodded. "Mind if I join you? If I recall correctly, you never did like to drink akone."

She nodded. "Yeah, sure, fine. Whatever."

He followed her into the kitchen where she pulled the scotch out of the cabinet, poured it in a glass and drank it straight.

"Oh, god," she said. "That's horrible!" She paused, considering the glass. "I don't care," she said. "I want another one!"

When she had nearly emptied the bottle (and hadn't shared a drop) Klaus finally decided to take it away from her.

"All right, lovely," he said. "I think you've had enough."

"No!" She kept a firm hold on the scotch and stared at him suspiciously. "Mine!"

He rolled his eyes and plucked it out of hands easily. There were times he hated the fact that she was human. Since he was so much stronger than her, they couldn't have their world-class fights. But there were certain things he was glad were easier.

He picked her up and carried her out of the kitchen.

"Hey!" she cried. "This isn't fair! You put me down right now!"

"All right," he said, throwing her down on the bed. "I think I know what the problem is."

"Let me guess," she sat up, her gaze unfocused. "We haven't had sex since last night and you think we should have it again?"

He smirked. "Well, I always think that, but I actually think you aren't handling this as well as you could because you're out of the loop."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Well," he said, "think about it. You're human now. You couldn't hurt a fly much less an unsuspecting populous. It would be dangerous and stupid for you to come with Adrian and me should he decide that he wants to. You're upset because you're missing out on all the fun."

"Actually," she leaned forward, "it's probably best that this is a bonding moment for you two rather than having me come along. I know how distracted you get when you see me kill people."

"I do not," Klaus said quickly.

"Oh, please, Nicky," she grinned. "I know you too well. Even my breathing a particular way gets you hot. Now if you see me be all vicious and covered in blood..." she laughed a little. "Well that's the worst of all."

He growled and she leaned forward, her lips meeting his. The kiss deepened and he reached up to take hold of her so that she was on her back on the bed, looking up at him. "You know," she said, "I was thinking of locking Adrian up and then taking you away somewhere to distract you so you'd forget what day it was."

He kissed her again. Her arms came up around his neck. "Why didn't you do that?" He asked when he pulled away.

She shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe that little freedom of choice thing?"

Klaus scoffed. "He's a teenager. What does he know?" He began running his fingers over her fuzzy pink sweater. "I like this," he said. "It's so soft." He paused, grinning. "You know what else is soft?" He asked quietly.

She grinned slowly. "Don't..." she said as he eased the bottom of her sweater up and ran his hands over her stomach. She moaned. Then he began running kisses over her midsection. Then he pulled her sweater up over her head. He was about to get her bra off when she sat up. "It's not fair," she said.

"What?" he said.

"This," she said. "Look at yourself, then look at me."

He did. "So?" He said. "What's the problem?"

"I'm going to hide all your shirts some day," she said. "Get myself the view I deserve."

He slowly unbuttoned his shirt. "Well that can be easily fixed," he said, peeling it off. Her eyes widened. "Now, where were we?"

* * *

><p>"Hey," Anna said when she opened the door to her apartment. "Are you all right?"<p>

"No," Selina said. "Not really. Bad day today."

"Why?" Anna asked, pointedly ignoring the yaps and wails that were coming from the basement. She shut the door quickly.

"So I see your menagerie has expanded," Selina said. "I could take one off your hands. Rusty could use a friend."

"Well there's really only been one man in my life who's ever amounted to anything," Anna said, sitting on one of the overstuffed chairs with her legs dangling over the armrest.

"Yeah," Selina glared. "I remember that."

Anna glared at her. "Don't tell me you still have a problem with it. You're sleeping with my brother and do I ever complain?"

"You can't," Selina said primly. "We're married, it's okay."

Anna rolled her eyes. "I think I _will _alleviate the boredom," she said. "Besides, I need a date to Adrian's party and I can't very well show up with a dog under my arm, can I?"

"You could, but you'd look crazy," Selina said.

"Exactly," Anna nodded. "Which is why I'm going to get myself a real date. You can come or not. Your choice."

"Oh, you bet I'm going to come," Selina said.

"Why?" Anna grinned. "To help me? Or to stop me?"

"Why don't you guess?" Selina said.

"Well it _must _be to help me," Anna said. "As a human you can't really do anything against me."

"I've been reminded of that several times today," Selina said through her teeth. "And I'm getting a little sick of it."

"Why so grumpy?" Anna asked. "We used to have such a good time together, the four of us."

Selina's lip curled. "When Stefan showed up, I _stopped_ having a good time."

_She had just finished her last set for the night and was washing her hands in the bathroom when she looked in the mirror and gasped. "What are you doing here?" She asked, seeing Stefan's reflection behind her. "This is a ladies' room, you know."_

_He smirked. "Well then I don't know what you're doing in it. If there was a sluts' room somewhere, you'd fit in perfectly."_

_She frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"_

_"Why are you here?" He asked._

_"Just an honest day's work," she said. "Nothing more than that."_

_"And you and Nick?" he asked. "What's going on there?"_

_"That's none of your business, is it?" She asked._

_He pushed her against the sink. "I think it is," he said. "Seeing as how we're practically brother and sister."_

_She frowned. "I don't need looking after. I took that from my mother and Damon, but I'll be damned if I take it from you."_

_"Oh," Stefan said. "So now you finally remember my brother."_

_"Oh, yes," she laughed bitterly. "Your brother. The man for whom I was just somebody to keep the seat warm until someone better came along!" She shoved him away. "I will do what I want with whomever I want," she said. "I don't care whether you approve or not."_

_She straightened up and left him in the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. Striding through the restaurant, she found their usual table and took a seat. "What kept you?" Nick asked. "I was getting worried."_

"_Oh, you know ladies' rooms always have such long lines." She grinned and leaned against him._

_"Where's Stefan?" Anna asked._

_"He was in the bathroom when I left," Selina said. "He should be back any minute."_

"How interesting," Anna said. "So Stefan never really approved of your relationship with Nick?"

Selina shrugged. "In a way, I guess I can't blame him. His brother and I were engaged, and we _did _grow up together, but what right did that give him to run my life?"

"You don't need to worry," Anna said. "When Nick and I left town, I compelled Stefan to forget about me. And also how much he hated you and Nick together."

"Yes, but once you remove the compulsion so he'll remember you, he'll be just as annoying as ever."

"Yes," Anna nodded. "That _is _an unfortunate consequence." She paused for a moment, then turned back to Selina. "Well, let's go."

"I think not." Selina said. "You can go by yourself. You'll have much more fun that way."

Anna held her eyes. "You're coming with me," she said. "I need you to distract his brother while I get Stefan out. It'll be fun."

"All right," Selina said. "Let's go. Sounds like fun."

* * *

><p>As they drove toward Mystic Falls, Selina turned on the radio. Loud music blared from the speakers. "What is that?" Anna asked. "That can't be music."<p>

"It is," Selina said, moving her whole upper body. "Great, isn't it?"

"No," Anna's expression became sour. "I hate it. Turn it off."

"Oh," Selina said. "Now who's grumpy?"

"I just hate this whole damn world," Anna said. "What happened to everything? It's all so cheap and the girls today? Don't get me started. We do all the work to fight for the vote and today, our entire sex is as stupid as ever."

"You just don't know how to adapt," Selina said. "Yes things changed, but that's not necessarily a bad thing."

Anna glared at her. "I was at the mall yesterday. Every dress I tried on made me look like a streetwalker. It was like when people called me a slut for wearing pants. All those strides in independence for women and they give us trash to wear."

Selina noddd. "See, that's your problem. You actually cared about what other people thought. I never did. Besides, short dresses make things much easier."

"Oh, I bet I know what things," Anna rolled her eyes.

Selina narrowed her eyes. "Can we just not talk?"

"Sure," Anna said. "Fine with me."

* * *

><p>They finally reached Mystic Falls. Selina grudgingly gave Anna directions to the boardinghouse and then when they arrived, before she got out of the car, Selina said, "so what's the plan? You going to sneak in through the window or something?"<p>

"That might be easiest," Anna said. "You go through the front door. And when I've got Stefan, I'll give a whistle and you make a run for it."

They both got out of the car and Selina strode up to the front door, taking the key out of her purse and hoping that they hadn't changed the locks. When the door popped open, she silently cheered and slipped inside, sitting on the sofa. A few minutes later, Damon entered the room, talking to Elena. When they saw her, they both froze.

"What are you doing here?" Damon asked after a moment.

She grinned. "Can't I just stop by to say hi?"

"You look different," Elena told her.

"Oh," she nodded. "I've aged a bit. It's complicated."

Elena looked between the two of them and stepped away. "I think I'll leave the two of you alone," she said, then left.

"So," Damon said, sitting next to Selina on the sofa, "Can I get you a drink?"

Selina looked at him thoughtfully. "Depends on why you want to give it to me. Are you being nice, or do you just want to get me drunk?"

He grinned. "I admit I do love the new look, but," he held up her hand. "You're a married woman. And even though I did see you first, I respect that."

"And we can't forget about Margaret," Selina said. "You are still seeing her, aren't you?"

"Yes," he nodded. "But she's visiting some relatives or something at the moment, so she's not here."

Just then, a loud banging noise came from upstairs. "What was that?" Damon asked. "I think I'd better go have a look."

"No," Selina got up quickly. "It's probably nothing." When the bang sounded again, he began striding toward the stairs. "No, stop!" Selina cried. "You can't go up there!"

When he put his hand on the railing, she became desperate. She put her arms around him and kissed him. He resisted for a moment, but then took control and deepened the kiss, lowering her down onto the steps. When he pulled away for a moment, she thought of making a run for it, but then she looked up to the landing and saw that Anna wasn't out with Stefan yet.

She rolled her eyes. Anna was really going to owe her. Selina kissed Damon again, trying to keep herself relaxed as he began to undress her. Just after they'd finished, Selina heard Anna's whistle. "I've gotta go," Selina said, pulling up her skirt. "It was good seeing you."

"Wait!" Damon said. "Why are you running off so fast?"

"I just, um...I just have to go, so goodbye!" Selina lit out of there and ran like hell for Anna's car.

"What took you so long?" Anna said. "We were beginning to think you weren't coming."

"I don't want to talk about it," Selina said. "But just know you owe me, big time."

"So," Stefan turned. "Was Damon happy to see you?"

Selina narrowed her eyes at him. "Oh, shut up."

By the time they dropped Selina off, it was time for her to pick Helene and Adrian up from school.

* * *

><p>When Selina came to pick up Helene and Adrian after school, Adrian had a question for her.<p>

"So, Mom," Adrian said as he got into the backseat next to Helene, "Tonight's the night. What's the plan? Have cake then chain me up in the basement?"  
>Selina's hands tightened on the steering wheel. "I thought about that," she said. "Then I realized that that would make me the world's worst hypocrite, wouldn't it?"<br>"What do you mean?" Adrian asked. "I thought you were the number one proponent of keeping myself on the straight and narrow. Isn't that why you delayed my curse in the first place?"  
>She sighed and shook her head. "No, that's not it. It was because transforming hurts, all right? At least at first. And when you originally set things off, you were just a little guy. I didn't want you to go through transformation until you were old enough to understand what you were going through and the consequences of it. Not that I'm not pissed off at your father for activating the gene in the first place, but that's water under the bridge now." She paused. "Anyway, I don't want to lock you up. You should be able to choose what you do with yourself now."<br>"Really?" Adrian asked. He hadn't been expecting this reaction.  
>Selina nodded. "Look. I got my gene from my mother and she went through her life pretending that it didn't exist because my uncle activated <em>his<em> gene and it ended up getting him killed. After that, Mama got scared and when I came along, she made my life choice for me and the older I got, the more I realized that that was the wrong choice. That was one of the reasons why I ran off with your dad. Because he was probably the first person to ever tell me that it was okay to be what I was. And I'm telling you that now too. So if you and he want to go and set yourselves on an unsuspecting populous, that's okay. I mean, it's not like I've never done it myself, even if it's something I'm not proud of. Or, you could stay in and go to the basement. You have to make the choice that's right for you. And I'll support you either way."

"You will?" Adrian said. "Well thank you. That means a lot."

"You're going to go out with your dad, aren't you?" She said, trying not to sound too judgmental.

"Probably," Adrian nodded. "Are you coming with us?"

"Can't," Selina said. "Human, remember?"

"Oh, yeah." Adrian nodded.

"After I drop you off, I'm going to go get your cake, bring it back here, and then we'll leave for Enid's, all right?"

"Why are you going there?" Helene asked. "I mean, what is it?"

"It's where I was born, apparently," Adrian told her.

"Oh," Helene nodded.

"It's a werewolves and guests only bar," Selina said. "I used to go there sometimes, you know, before things changed."

They arrived home, then Selina went to get Adrian's cake and took it straight over to Enid's.

"So tonight's the big night," Pete said, plunking a rum and Coke down in front of her. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Yes," Selina nodded. "I think. Just keep passing me these and I'll be all right."

Pete gave her a grin. "It'll be okay." he said.

She groaned. "I hope so."

The party went off without a hitch, and much to Selina's delight, Stefan was less irritating than usual. But just before the moon came up, everyone left the bar, with Pete taking just enough time to tell Selina she could have whatever she wanted from the bar.

Klaus had sworn that he'd watch out for Adrian, but she was still nervous When they'd headed out, she had a dire foreboding that she'd never see Adrian again. She sighed and poured herself another drink, then stumbled outside and into the woods. It was dark. And quiet. Then, she heard a soft growl. Two wolves emerged from the woods. She felt herself choke on a scream. When she ran, they followed. Eventually she found herself trapped. There was nowhere else to run. As they pounced, she shut her eyes and hoped for a quick, relatively painless death.


	38. Maybe Baby

But when she thought she'd feel pain, she felt nothing. She opened her eyes. The wolves weren't moving anymore, but they looked angry. Swallowing, she finally managed to pull herself up from the ground and back away. Then, she started running again and so did they. She wondered why. Probably the thrill of the hunt. It would have been lame to just kill her while she was down. She was nearly out of the woods when they pinned her down again, but she managed to get up and run into the safety of the bar. Even so, they followed. She hid behind the counter, her breathing loud enough that they could hear it. She took a toy ball out from one of the drawers and threw it. That distracted the wolves long enough that she was able to sprint up to Enid's room and grab the silver knife Enid always kept in case somebody got too rowdy. By the time she got back downstairs, the wolves had lost interest and trained their eyes on her, moving to stalk her once again. Although her gait was unsteady and she had no idea why she could think this clearly when she was hammered, when one of the wolves pounced, she thrusted the knife into it and, whimpering, it backed down. She did the same with the others. She knew that they weren't dead, only wounded, but she felt dizzy and sick. She'd had enough for one night. She stumbled upstairs and crawled into the bed in Enid's apartment.

* * *

><p>The next morning, she woke up to a loud knock on the bedroom door. "Oh, god," she sat up and put her hand to her aching head. "Come in," she called weakly. Enid entered, carrying pancakes and coffee. "I thought you could use this," she said, grinning. Selina looked down at the bed. "I'm sorry," she said. "I know this is your room. I didn't mean to displace you."<p>

Enid shrugged. "It's no problem. I'm just glad you're all right. Heard you got into a bit of a scrape last night. Found Tom and Jimmy behind the bar with gashes on their sides."

Selina's eyes widened. "Oh, they're going to be better, right? I didn't mean to hurt them, it was just that if I hadn't..."

Enid held up a hand. "Now don't worry about it, dear. They're going to be fine."

"What about Adrian?" Selina asked. "Where is he?"

Enid took her hand. "He made it through last night just fine. Klaus was looking out for him. They headed back home after the moon went down."

"Well do they know I'm here?" Selina sat up.

Enid handed her the plate. "Eat your breakfast and then you can give them a call, all right?"

Selina took the plate and nodded. "Thank you," she said.

* * *

><p>But just as she was about to pick up the phone, there was a furious knock on Enid's bedroom door. "Come in," Selina called again. Klaus opened the door. He seemed tense.<p>

"Morning, Nicky," Selina said, calmly taking a sip of coffee. "How'd things go with Adrian last night? Is he all right?"

"Well, yes," Klaus nodded. "And I kept him home from school today, just in case. I know you usually frown on him skipping school unless he's ill, but..."

"But this counts as an illness," Selina said. "Or at least a reasonable excuse to stay home. You did well."

"Now," Klaus said, coming to sit beside her. "What about you?"

"What about me?" She asked curiously.

"Are you all right?" Klaus asked. "Enid said that you had some unpleasant encounters last night. How did they go? You aren't hurt, are you?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "I'm fine. They didn't touch me at all. I knifed both of them before they could do anything."

He looked at her in surprise. "Really? As a drunk human, you took down two werewolves."

"I did," Selina nodded. "Surprised?"

He shook his head, but still looked like he was in shock. "I'm impressed," he said.

"Thank you," she grinned. "I'm proud of myself too."

She finished her breakfast and then got out of bed. "Would you get me some aspirin, please?" She asked Klaus, who was still watching her. "I'm going to take it and then we are going to go home because I really want to check on Adrian and see how he's managing."

* * *

><p>As they drove home, Klaus asked her something that had been puzzling him. "Why did you drink so much yesterday?"<p>

Selina shrugged. "I don't know. Actually, I do. I've become one of _those_ mothers, I think. It depresses me so much."

Klaus' eyebrows knitted. "One of _those_ mothers?"

"You know," Selina elaborated, "The ones who devote their entire lives to mothering and then their kid grows up and their lives fall to pieces cause they don't know how to do anything but mother, and the person that they mothered doesn't need them anymore, so they go off the deep end and end up buying little dogs and knitting outfits for them, pushing them around the park in strollers and saying that the dog is their baby, that sort of thing."

"So are you planning to take up knitting and dress Rusty up in goofy outfits?" Klaus asked.

Selina shrugged. "Either that, or we could have another baby. You pick."

"Well wait just a minute," Klaus said. "Let's talk about this before we do anything rash."

"How would having another baby be rash?" Selina asked. "It's been thirteen years since we had the first one."

"Well, for starters we'd have to do some things first before we have this other baby," Klaus said. "And I don't quite know exactly how to accomplish them."

Selina burst out laughing. "This is a strange time to be modest, Nicky. You've been accomplishing the proper things for years."

"I didn't mean that," Klaus said, giving her a look. "I meant turning you back to normal. Unless you _want_ to be human when you have our second baby?"

Selina wrinkled her nose and shook her head. "I don't think so," she said. "I definitely think we should change me back first. But how do we do that?"

Klaus shook his head. "That's the point. At present, I have no idea."

"Maybe Alistair will know," Selina suggested. "Let's ask him when we get back."

"That and there's one more thing," Klaus continued.

"What?" Selina asked.

He cleared his throat. "I ran into someone the other day and she asked me if we were planning on having any more children and I said no."

"Well it obviously wasn't your mother," Selina said. "She's been nagging us to have more kids since Adrian came out of me."

"No," Klaus said. "It wasn't her."

"Then who was it?" Selina asked.

"It was Vanessa," he said after a long pause.

Selina rolled her eyes. "What the hell is her problem? Why can't she just go away?"

"She's very determined," Klaus said. "I don't think she'll ever go away."

"So let me get this straight," Selina said. "We can't have any more kids because you told Vanessa that we wouldn't?"

"Well think about it," Klaus said. "When you were pregnant with Adrian, how many times did she try to kill you?"

"Three," Selina said, her heart sinking.

"Yes," Klaus nodded. "And how many times has she tried to kill Adrian?"

"Two," Selina said.

"Exactly," Klaus nodded. "She's serious about what she's doing and I don't want anything to happen to you."

Selina looked away. "So we aren't having any more kids. We're just going to cave and let some bitch have us live in fear."

"Well if you think about it," Klaus said, "This really is all your fault. You made me get all attached to you and and..."

"And what?" Selina asked curiously.

Klaus shook his head as if he didn't want to finish the sentence. He then started talking again. "The life I have now isn't the one Vanessa signed me up for when she made me."

"I know," Selina nodded. "You're original goal was to live forever without actually being attached to anybody."

He nodded. "Yeah, and then I met you and things just...changed. I fell in love with you."

Selina's eyes widened. "Wait...what did you just say?"

He sighed. "I fell in love with you. It's okay for us to say it behind closed doors. We just can't say it out in public."

"Oh," Selina nodded. "I didn't know that. Anyway, continue."

"Anyway," Klaus nodded. "I got attached to you, and fell in love with you, and I just don't like the thought of anything bad happening to you or Adrian or any other children we might have, so to save ourselves the misery, we aren't going to have any."

"Wow," Selina said in surprise. "I really have softened you up, haven't I?"

"Yes," he nodded. "I hope you're proud of yourself. Why do you have to be so damn loveable anyway?"

"I don't know," she said incredulously. "But if you like, I'll try to be less loveable in the future. That shouldn't be too difficult. Seeing as how the only being in our house that's going to need me is Rusty."

* * *

><p>When they got home, Selina went straight to Adrian's room. "How are you feeling, honey?" She asked him, getting down on her knees beside his bed.<p>

"Okay," Adrian said quietly. "I've been resting mostly. Dad told me it was all right for me to stay home from school."

She nodded and ran her fingers through his hair. "I know, sweetie," she said. "He told me. You're not in trouble."

"I killed people last night," Adrian said.

Selina nodded. "That happens."

"You're not mad at me?" Adrian asked.

"No," Selina shook her head. "I'd be an awful hypocrite if I got mad at you for that. I've brought several people down in my time."

"Really?" Adrian asked in surprise. "You?"

"Yes," Selina nodded. "When I was pregnant with you, it was like a spree. Very messy, very traumatic. At least for the people who weren't me."

Adrian sat up. "I never would have guessed."

"Yes, well," Selina nodded. "I'm just full of surprises. Would you like anything? I'll get it for you."

Adrian leaned back on his pillows and shook his head. "I'm fine. And Helene called and told me that she'd bring me all my homework."

"Sounds like a plan," Selina said. She shut off his lights and closed the door behind her.

* * *

><p>Selina thought that Klaus' resistence to them having another baby was just a temporary thing, but over the next couple of weeks, it seemed that it was more serious than she realized. A pattern developed that slowly got on her nerves as the days went by: Stefan would stop by in the mornings, he and Nicky would carouse until nightfall, and by the time he returned home, he'd be too tired to even touch her.<p>

Finally, she decided to confront the issue. After he finished in the shower one morning, once he dressed, she refused to let him leave their bedroom.

"What's going on?" He asked. "I have to go."

"No," she shook her head vigorously. "You don't. I want to talk."

"About what?" He asked. "Can't this wait?"

"No," she shook her head. "I want to know what's going on."

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"I mean you, me, nothing for weeks. That's a little abnormal for us, isn't it? I mean, I know you don't want to have another baby, but I didn't think you were so determined that you'd cut us both off completely."

"I told you why," he said. "I thought you'd understand."

"Yes," Selina nodded. "You did, but it's not your decision alone to make. We both should decide."

"Oh," he said. "So I should let you decide to risk our child's life just to satisfy some neurosis of yours?"

"It's not that!" Selina said. "I can handle things! You aren't leaving this house until we ask Alistair what the best way is to change me back to normal! And possibly other things too."

"Well we're certainly irritable this morning," Klaus said.

"Well yeah, that's cause I've been cut off for a week!" She said, putting her hands on her hips. "And besides, I'm the one that Vanessa always goes after, remember? And if I'm not worried, then why should you be? And the one time she shot at Adrian, he just got right back up again like nothing happened. That's because of you. You give them that. You make them okay. So can we please just stop being silly and get things back to normal?"

"Well..." he was hesitant.

"Please?" She said again. She began removing her clothes. His eyes strayed from her face and she burst out laughing. "Well at least we know that you weren't holding out because you're no longer attracted to me." Once her clothes were in a pile, she climbed onto the bed and grinned at him, patting the spot next to her. "Wanna join me?"

He nodded slowly and advanced toward toward the bed. She got off it and came to meet him. As she removed his clothes, he took her in his arms and threw the blankets aside, lowering her onto the bed. Then, she heard footsteps and the sound of Stefan calling out.

"I'll hide," she grinned. "You tell him to go away."

She wriggled under the covers and he started laughing. When Stefan opened the door and asked "Are you coming?" Klaus was doing his best to keep a straight face and failing miserably. Selina really was quite talented. "No," he finally managed to get out. "I think I'll stay in today."

Stefan slammed the door closed and then Selina began to work her way slowly up Klaus' body until she put her arms around his neck and kissed him. "I'm so glad he's gone," she said.

"Yes," Klaus grinned back and flipped her over so she was underneath him. "Me too."

* * *

><p>A week later, around six in the evening, Helene got a call from Adrian. "Can you come over?" He asked.<p>

"Why?" She said. "Do you need help with homework?"

"No," he said. "I'm actually home by myself. Mom and Dad left for some 'romantic getaway' and the house is kinda creepy when you're in it alone. It used to be haunted, you know. I'm named after the resident ghost. Or former resident ghost I should say."

Helene grinned. "You're making that up."

"No I'm not," Adrian insisted. "It's true! So will you come? We can make popcorn, watch a couple of movies, play truth or dare..."

"You wouldn't play truth or dare," Helene interrupted.

"I know," Adrian said. "I was kidding."

"Fine," Helene said. "I'll come over and keep you company. It's not like I've got much else to do anyway."

"Why?" Adrian asked. "Is your boyfriend busy?"

"Hey," Helene snapped. "Do you want me to come over or not?"

"Yes," Adrian said quickly. "I do, I'm sorry."

"That's better," Helene said. "I'll tell Dad and we should be over in a couple of minutes."

"Thanks," Adrian said. "I'll keep the front door open."

* * *

><p>By the time Helene and Alistair arrived, Adrian already had everything set up. "So," Helene said as she strolled into the living room. "Just what did you have in mind for us to do tonight anyway?"<p>

Adrian looked hesitantly up at Alistair and then ambled over to the console where he'd stacked a whole bunch of movies. "I was thinking we could watch one of these," he said, handing her the pile. "You pick."

She looked through them. He really did have juvenile tastes, but that didn't surprise her. Most men usually did. She frowned and looked up at him. "_Night of the Living Dead?_" She asked skeptically. "_Halloween?"_

"Those are classic movies!" Adrian said. "They aren't even all that scary, either."

"But what's the point?" Helene asked. "What do these movies do for you?"

"Nothing," Adrian said. "They just entertain, and help the viewer work through their own fears by living vicariously through the characters."

"Oh," Helene said, looking surprised. "And here I thought they just existed to show a bunch of people getting killed."

"Well," Adrian conceded. "There's that too." He paused. "Come on, try something a little different, would you?"

"Oh, all right fine!" Helene heaved a big sigh and rolled her eyes. She held up _Halloween _and _Night of the Living Dead._ "So which one of these is less disgusting?"

"That would be _Halloween_," Adrian said, taking it from her and popping it in the player. "You go have a seat. I'll go make popcorn if you want it."

"Sure," Helene said. "Thanks."

"I"ll be downstairs if the two of you need anything," Alistair said.

"All right, Daddy," Helene said.

"He really doesn't trust me, does he?" Adrian asked when he came back into the living room with the popcorn bowl, which Helene took from him and put on a tray table.

"It's not really your fault," Helene said. "He's just spent way too much time around your parents, that's all. And speaking of, where did you say they were again?"

"They didn't mention specifics," Adrian said. "They just said they were going on a trip now that Mom's back to her old self and they should be back by the end of the weekend. I don't even want to think about what they're doing."

"Now, how many times did you walk in on them when you were a child?" Helene asked.

"Too many," Adrian shuddered. "The first time, I had a cold and Mom tried to make me think I was hallucinating, but seriously, who did she think she was fooling? I was sick, not stupid." He rolled his eyes. "Parents. What can you do?"

"Yes, really." Helene took a handful of popcorn from the bowl, stuck it in her mouth and trained her eyes on the screen just as young Michael Myers was stabbing his sister to death. She began choking and Adrian had to whack her on the back until she was able to swallow.

"Are you all right?" He asked.

"Yes," Helene nodded. "That was awful!"

"That's actually the worst murder in this movie," Adrian said matter-of-factly. "The rest of them are really lame. Not really gory at all."

"Good," Helene said.

Just then, Alistair came up the stairs. "Is everything okay in here?" He asked.

"Yes," Helene nodded. "Popcorn just went down the wrong pipe."

"Oh," Alistair nodded. "All right then. Let me know if you need anything."

"All right, Daddy. We will." Helene told him.

They continued watching the movie, and as they watched, the sky outside darkened and it began to pour down rain. A thunder strike blew out the power and filled the house with darkness.

"All right," Alistair eventually came upstairs, clutching a flashlight. "All right, kids. Seems like the whole neighborhood is out."

"Really?" Helene asked. When the power had gone out, she'd screamed and clutched Adrian hard, but now that her father was here, she cleared her throat and let him go. "So what should we do?"

"Can't you use magic to make the power come back on or something?" Adrian suggested.

"I could," Alistair said. "But it would be unwise. Electricity is a very complex thing and any magic done could just make things worse."

"So we're just going to sit here in the dark," Adrian said. "Gotcha."

"It won't be so bad," Alistair said. "We'll figure something out."

God, Adrian thought to himself. Wherever Mom and Dad are, I bet they're having a much better time than I am.

* * *

><p>As the sun set, Klaus and Selina fell through the door of their beach house, giggling madly. "Oh, my god, that was <em>wonderful<em>!" Selina said. "I never thought I would parasail."

Klaus pulled her to him. "Well, after three pitchers of margaritas, you can pretty much do anything."

Selina nodded. "True. So what do you want to do now?"

"Oh, I don't know," Klaus said, getting on the bed and looking at her suggestively.

She grinned. "Silly question. It will probably be a lot more comfortable to do it in here than it was in the water."

"You didn't think that was fun?" Klaus asked.

She winced. "Well I was lying with a spiny thing digging into my back the entire time. It hurt."

"Oh," he said. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," she said. She stripped off her clothes and joined him in bed. "So," she asked, "what game are we going to play now?"

He grinned. "I was thinking about one we haven't been able to play in a long time. Probably the most fun one."

Selina's eyes widened. "You mean the biting game?"

He nodded. "If you're up to it."

"Well why would you think I wouldn't be?" Selina asked.

"Well I don't know," Klaus said, laying her out and then cuffing her. He looked over her body and she shivered. "Where should I start?" he asked himself. Selina shut her eyes and he began planting little kisses on her neck before sinking his fangs in deeply. She screamed and then burst out giggling as he lapped the blood up.

"That tickles," she said.

"Does it?" he asked her, grinning. He began tickling her harder and she laughed until she couldn't breath. "Stop," she said. "Stop."

"Oh, all right," he said at last, running his tongue up her arms and stroking her wrists before biting them too. It continued until he'd gotten blood from every major spot in her body. As he looked up from sucking on her femoral artery, he could see that she was beginning to get woozy. That was when he entered her. Her eyes widened and she clutched him, furiously biting anywhere she could and licking any blood that welled up. It was well into the next day before either of them were tired enough to stop. When it was all over, they were both sweating and breathing hard.

"Wow," she said when she finally found her voice. "That was something."

"I missed that game so much," Klaus said.

"Next time, I get to bite you," Selina said.

"Of course," he nodded and ran his fingers through her hair. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

Selina grinned to herself. Everything was perfect. It seemed like nothing could go wrong.

* * *

><p>But three months later, she didn't feel as good. She was tired, she was achy, and she felt weak.<p>

"Are you going to be able to take me to school?" Adrian asked when he found her huddled under her covers one morning.

"No," she hugged her pillow. "Ask your father or Alistair." She sat up quickly and ran for the bathroom, making it just in time before she threw up yet again. Adrian groaned and left the bedroom. "Something's wrong with Mom," he announced to Klaus and Alistair who were sitting at the kitchen table. "I think she needs to see a doctor."

Alistair stood up. "Let me go have a look at her." By the time he reached the bedroom, Selina was huddled under her covers again. "Adrian says you're not feeling well," he said. "Let me look at you."

He looked her over. She didn't look any different. A little paler maybe, but nothing too alarming. But she did look exhausted. "Stay in bed today," he told her. "You probably have some sort of bug. It'll be better tomorrow."

"All right," Selina said, closing her eyes. "Could you shut the door on your way out?"

"Sure," Alistair nodded.

"How is she?" Klaus asked when he got back.

"It's probably just a little bug. She'll be fine tomorrow."

* * *

><p>But she wasn't. A week later, she was still acting strangely, eating copious amounts of sugar and being more cheerful than Adrian had ever seen her in his whole life.<p>

"At least she's left her bed," Klaus said. "And those fits of anger ended before she destroyed all of your grandmother's good china."

"True," Adrian nodded. "But I still think it's weird, don't you? Maybe we should send her to the doctor."

"Look," Klaus said. "I know your mother's not the most cheerful person in the world, so let's not wreck this for her, okay?"

"All right," Adrian said. Then, he lapsed into silence and looked out the window.

After he dropped Adrian off at school, he wandered around town, not returning home until after dark.

He opened the door and stepped inside. It seemed like there was nobody around. Then, she pounced on him. "Hi!" Selina said cheerfully. "How was your day?"

"Have you been drinking?" He asked her.

"No," she shook her head. "It's even better than that. Alistair took me to see Enid, and she told me I'm pregnant!"


	39. The Token

"I'm sorry, you're what?" Klaus asked.

Selina grinned at him. "I'm pregnant. Isn't it great?"

He turned away from her and began pacing around the room. "How could this happen now? Remember we decided that this wasn't going to happen now?"

She pouted. "No, _you_ decided that. But it's pretty much a moot point now."

"All right," he said. "Pack your things. We're leaving."

"Why?" She asked. "Where are we going? You aren't making any sense."

"Don't you get it?" He asked her. "We can't be here anymore."

"Sure we can," she said. "What changed?"

"Vanessa," Klaus said. "If we stay here, she'll come after you and we don't want that to happen. Why is that so hard to understand?"

Selina put her hands on her hips. "I'm not leaving."

Klaus frowned. "I say you have to."

Selina shook her head. "You can't make me do anything I don't want to."

Just then, the door opened and Alistair stuck his head in. "Did Selina tell you the good news?" he asked Klaus.

"She told me that Enid said she was pregnant. Is that supposed to be the good news?"

"Well, yes," Alistair said. "What's wrong with you?"

"He's worried about Vanessa," Selina said.

"I asked Enid about her," Alistair said. "And apparently, Vanesssa's been very quiet as of late."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Klaus asked, his body tensing.

Alistair shrugged. "I don't know."

Klaus looked back at Selina. "Are you all right?"

She nodded. "Yes, I'm fine."

"All right," he said and strode away.

Selina looked at Alistair and pouted again. "He's not happy, is he?"

Alistair hugged her. "Of course he is. He's just worried about Vanessa. He doesn't want anything to happen to you."

Selina nodded. "I suppose. But I thought he'd be more enthusiastic at least." She sighed and sat down on the bed, looking dejected.

"Cheer up," Alistair said. "It's going to be okay."

"Can you talk some sense into him?" She asked. "I don't want to move. I like it here."

"All right," Alistair nodded. "I promise you won't have to leave this house."

Selina smiled. "Thank you, Alistair."

* * *

><p>"You could have been a little more enthusiastic, you know," Alistair said as he strode into the library and noticed that Klaus was sitting hunched over in one of the highbacked leather chairs. "Now she's all upset."<p>

Klaus looked up at him. "Yes, but Alistair, I'm not going to lie. I'm not happy about this. At least not the timing. You saw what happened with Adrian, before he was born. Vanessa tried to kill her several times. And while I occasionally _do _relish being the rescuer, I can't do it that many times."

Alistair sighed and came to stand behind the chair. "Listen to me: I like that you're worried about Vanessa, it shows that you care. But if you think that not having any more kids will keep her away, you're wrong. She'll be just as enthusiastic about her goal to annihilate you as she always is. No matter what you do."

"Exactly," Klaus nodded. "So why put Selina at greater risk if it's not necessary?"

"This is something she really wants," Alistair said. "Just let her have it. Be happy for the both of you. And trust that she will do all she can to keep that other child alive. You can do that, can't you?"

Klaus nodded. "I suppose."

Alistair grinned. "Good man. Now go and tell her how happy you are."

"But-" Klaus said.

"Lie through your teeth if you have to. We don't want to risk any upsets."

"No," Klaus shook his head. "We don't."

"Good luck," Alistair said.

Klaus shut the library door behind him and went to the closed bedroom door. He knocked. "Love, it's me. Can I come in?"

"Sure," Selina's voice on the other side was quiet. He opened the door and strode inside. She turned to face him. Her face was red and wet. She'd been crying. He ran his fingers through his hair. He had no idea what he should do next. Finally, he sat down next to her on the bed and took her in his arms. She was still choking back sobs and sniffling. He began rubbing her back and finally she calmed. Then, she looked up at him, waiting for him to say something. He grinned at her. "So," he said, trying to remember to smile and keep his tone light. "Alistair told me you had some good news. What is it?"

She looked at him oddly. "I already told you."

"Yes, I realize that," he said. "I also realize that I didn't react properly, so would it be all right if I had a second chance?"

"That depends," she said. "Do you want it so you can give me lip service, or are you going to mean what you're going to say?"

"Of course I'm going to mean it!" he said. "I'm very happy that you're going to have another baby. It's just that I'm scared of what Vanessa's going to do when she finds out. My being upset has absolutely nothing to do with me not wanting you to have another baby."

"Really?" She asked, looking hopeful.

"Really," he nodded. "Now, good news?"

She grinned and kissed him. "We went and saw Enid today and she says I'm pregnant."

His eyes lit up and he hugged her. "That's so wonderful!"

She nodded. "I know, isn't it?"

"Just one thing," he said.

Her eyes widened. "What?" She asked worriedly.

"How long do you want me to wait before I tell Mother?"

* * *

><p>A few days later, Alistair arrived with Helene to take Adrian to school. He looked tired and cranky. "What's the matter?" Helene asked. "Have nightmares about Mrs. Hobson becoming the devil and branding an 'F' on your English paper while being surrounded by all her minions?"<p>

He shook his head. "No, it's my mom. She went completely insane last night and kept us all up."

Alistair looked at him sympathetically. "I know it's hard. But she was even worse when she was pregnant with you."

"What?" Helene turned to Adrian, her eyes wide. "Your mom's pregnant? That's so cool!"

Adrian shook his head quickly. "She's not _pregnant_, she's sick. That's all. And it's not cool. It's disgusting." He shuddered.

"She's pregnant," Alistair said. "I've seen it all before."

"You just can't let me live in my dream world, can you?" Adrian asked. "I've interpreted the events going on at my house in a way that is comfortable for me and I prefer not to have that be ruined."

"All right," Alistair said. "Whatever you say."

"So what happened last night?" Helene asked. "What kept you up?"

"Oh, I don't know," Adrian said. "She was up all night puking and then she had a nightmare and burst into tears, and then, apparently, she got up to eat and forgot to tell Dad, so he freaked out and thought she'd gone missing and dragged me out of bed at two a.m. to go look for her and there she was in the kitchen just eating pudding like it was the middle of the day."

"Oh, the memories," Alistair said.

"What?" Adrian asked. "Let me guess. That happen with me, too?"

"Of course," Alistair nodded. "But things got better."

"Alistair, I love my mother, but I can't handle too many more nights like last night," Adrian said. "Can't I just move in with you until Mom has the stupid baby?" He paused. "Think about my education. A good night's sleep is paramount to good learning and if I'm up all night because Mom's sick and Dad's freaked out about it, then my grades will suffer and I won't get into a good college, and then I'll spend the rest of eternity being bitter and angry and trying to destroy humanity. Is that really what you want for me?"

The car lapsed into silence for a few moments before Alistair said "I have spent many, _many _years around your father and he often used that same sort of overly dramatic talk when he wanted to do things of which he knew I wouldn't approve. You'll be able to deal with things at your house well enough. Then, eventually, your father will tell your grandmother that you're going to have a sibling and your mother will be carted away against her will and sequestered at your grandmother's house. Then you'll have peace and quiet."

"Oh, come on, Dad," Helene said. "Why can't he stay with us?"

"Because," Alistair said, "I don't think it would be wise."

"It's not like we don't have room," Helene countered.

"It's not a matter of space," Alistair said. "It's something else entirely."

"Oh," Helene nodded. "I get it. You think he's going to sneak into my room in the middle of the night with wicked things on his mind."

"Yes," Alistair nodded. "Exactly. Just like his..."

"That's not fair," Adrian said. "Have I done one bad thing on my own?"

"No," Alistair shook his head. "You haven't, and I'm going to make sure you never do."

Adrian looked at Helene. "Thanks for trying."

Helene sighed, looking disappointed. "You're welcome."

* * *

><p>They arrived at school and Helene waved goodbye to Adrian and went off with Anthony. David, meanwhile, gave Adrian a look. "Do you like her?" he asked.<p>

"What?" Adrian turned. "It depends on what way you mean."

"Are you in love with her?" David clarified.

"What?" Adrian asked. "No, of course not. She's like my sister! We grew up together. In fact, I even think there's this one picture my mom has of us in the bath together when we were like three, so no I am _not_ in love with her. Get your brain out of the gutter, geez!" He shook himself off and strode away.

"What's wrong with you?" David asked, following after him. "Is something wrong? Because the full moon's not for another week or so."

Adrian sat down. "Oh, it's nothing. My parents just told me that my mom is pregnant, that's all."

"Really?" David asked. "That's rough."

"I shouldn't be surprised though. My parents are very physical people." Adrian rolled his eyes.

"And how old were they, you know, when they changed?" David asked.

"I don't know," Adrian said. "I think Mom was eighteen and Dad was twenty-five to thirty-ish. He's been around so long he doesn't keep track anymore."

"So basically," David said, "When you're parents became vampires, they were still young, vital people. The fact that they're physical shouldn't be surprising."

"Yes, well do you like to think about _your_ parents having sex?" Adrian asked.

"I don't think they do anymore," David said. "It upsets Anthony, and they know, as do you, not to do anything that would upset Anthony."

"Oh, right," Adrian said. "So, just because I'm curious, do you think beating him to a pulp and dragging Helene away to stick her someplace where he'll never find her ever would upset him?"

"Yes," David nodded. "Were you thinking of doing that?"

Adrian shook his head. "No, that was an entirely hypothetical scenario."

"_Right_," David said. "Of course." Just then the bell rang. "We should probably be getting to class."

"Just a minute," Adrian said. "You go. I'll catch up."

"All right," David said. "You better." He left and then Adrian bent down to pick up something he'd noticed shining in th dirt. He pulled it out. It was one of the flower clips Helene always wore to hold back her hair. He put it into his pocket to give to her later.

* * *

><p>Selina sat at the kitchen table idly stirring sugar into her tea. "What's the matter with you?" Klaus asked. "Are we upset because Adrian wasn't excited about his new sibling?"<p>

"No," Selina sighed. "It's not that. I expected him to have a negative reaction to it. Enid mentioned that he might feel displaced. And what about Rusty?"

"What about Rusty?" Klaus asked.

"What if Rusty thinks we're ignoring him too?"

Klaus sat next to her. "If he survived Adrian's childhood, I think he'll be okay."

Selina stopped stirring her tea. "I feel guilty," she said.

"Why?" Klaus asked, running his fingers through her hair.

"Maybe we shouldn't have done this to Adrian," she said. "He's at a very impressionable age. This will probably scar him for life."

Klaus grinned. "If he can still be normal after all the times he forgot to knock and walked in on us, I think he'll be all right. He's not a child anymore. He doesn't need you as much as he once did, which is the whole reason why you wanted to have another baby, remember?"

She nodded. "Yeah, you're right." She stopped stirring her tea and pushed it aside, coming to stand in front of Klaus. "Can I sit?" She asked him. "Do you mind?"

"No, of course not," Klaus said. "Come here."

"So," she said, "I was wondering: do you think we're going to have a boy or a girl?"

"Well," he said, "part of me wants us to have another boy, but another part of me kind of thinks that since we have Adrian, a girl would be kind of nice too."

"I feel exactly the same," Selina said, laying her head on his shoulder.

"Really?" Klaus asked. "I would have thought you'd want a girl automatically."

"I thought that too," Selina said. "But _then _I thought, and you're going to think I'm terribly neurotic for thinking this, that if we have a girl, I'm going to lose a lot."

"What do you mean?" Klaus asked.

"Well," Selina cleared her throat. "With my luck, we'll have a little girl that looks exactly like me, you'll fall head over heels in love with her, spoil her rotten, and then I'll just fall by the wayside."

He gently took her chin and kissed her. "That would never happen. I mean, I might feel close to my daughter, but I'd never forget about you. I have needs. They'd never just go away."

Selina put a hand on her stomach. "Oh, I know you have needs," she said. "I don't think I'll _ever_ be able to forget that."

He grinned. "Well it's only because you're so pretty."

She giggled. "Oh, stop." He paused. "Keep going," she said. "What else?"

"Well," he stood up and picked her up, carrying her to the bedroom, laying her down on the bed. "To continue," he said, slowly undressing her, "you have quite the body, don't you?"

"Which will slowly be ruined," she said, pouting a little.

"Ah, no it won't be ruined," he said. "You'll be putting it to good use."

She grinned. "Too bad I can't charge rent."

He laughed. "There's that smile I like."

She grinned mischievously as she unbuttoned his shirt. "You like me for my mind too, right?"

He pulled off his shirt and threw it on the floor. "Of course," he said. "But that's not what I want to focus on right now."

She smiled and kissed him, throwing her arms around his neck. He began rubbing her stomach. She moaned and he peeled off her jeans and threw them on the floor.

"Don't stop now," she said.

"Don't worry," he whispered. "I won't."

She reached up and unzipped him, sucking in her breath as she ran her hands over him. He groaned. It was sweet agony to have her touching him like this. He kissed her and she moved so that she was on top of him and gave him a mischievous grin. "You are so wicked," he said.

"Thank you," she replied and ducked under the covers. He was really going to have to thank her later.

* * *

><p>That night, Helene was doing her homework when she heard knocking at her window. At first, she thought it was just the wind, so she ignored it, but then the rapping became more insistent. She finally got up and went to open the window, gasping when she saw who was on the other side. "What are you doing here?" She whispered. "You know you aren't supposed to be here."<p>

Adrian grinned and boosted himself into her room. "I just came to bring you this," he said, holding out her hair clip. "That's all. But it's really raining out there, so do you mind if I..."

"Of course not," she said. "I'll go get a sleeping bag for you. And I won't say a word to my father."


	40. Smoking Gun

Selina woke up with a start. Something was wrong. She took a deep breath and tried to keep herself calm. She was just about to get out of bed when she paused. She didn't want a repeat of the pudding incident, so even though she thought it was silly, she leaned over and gave Klaus a rough shake. "Nicky," she whispered, "I have to leave the room for a few minutes, okay? I'm not being kidnapped or running away." She waited for him to give an indication that he'd heard her, but all she got was a grunt. He was still asleep. She sighed, went to the bathroom and filled the cup beside her sink with cold water, then dumped it over his head. He bolted upright and shook himself. "What did you do that for?"

"Well," she said, "I need to leave the room and check on something and I didn't want you freaking out again about my being kidnapped or running away, so I'm doing as you asked and telling you first. It would be a lot easier if you didn't sleep so darn hard."

"Where do you have to go?" He asked. "Is something wrong?"

"I don't know," she said. "But I think Adrian's missing. I was gonna go check his room."

"Okay," Klaus said. "You do that. I'm going to go get another pillow out of the hall closet because this one is soaked, thank you very much."

She stuck her tongue out. "You're welcome." Then she went into Adrian's room. She looked at his bed. The blankets were pulled up and there was a shape under the covers. It wasn't moving, but that didn't surprise her. Adrian slept as soundly as his father. However, she pulled the sheets up anyway...and saw pillows.

She growled. "He is going to have some explaining to do when I get my hands on him." Then, she saw the note on his bedside table.

_Mom,_

_I know you're going to look for me, but I had to go to Alistair's. It was an emergency and I'll be back in the morning with bagels and a good explanation about why I left. Until then, don't worry._

_Love, _

_Adrian_

She picked up the note and took it into the bedroom. "Look at this," she said.

"What is it?" Klaus asked.

"It's a note from Adrian. Apparently, he had some big emergency that made him have to trek over to Alistair's in the middle of the night in the rain."

"Ah," Klaus nodded. "I thought that's what it was about. He had something of Helene's and he wanted to give it back to her."

"But why now?" Selina asked. "Why couldn't it have waited until morning?" Selina asked. "And why would he tell you about it and not me?"

Klaus looked at the note again. "Love, it says don't worry about it, so don't. He'll be fine. It's not like he went off to join a cult or kill somebody. Just relax."

She eyed him suspiciously. "Are you in on this? Are you letting him do something bad that I won't approve of and that's why I don't know about it?"

"No," he said, looking genuinely appalled. "I just think you're getting yourself unnecessarily worked up over nothing."

"Fine," Selina said. "But I still think that whatever it is could have waited until morning." She lay down next to him and Klaus rubbed her back until she fell asleep again.

* * *

><p>Adrian arrived early the next morning and attempted to sneak in without anybody noticing. That failed.<p>

"So," Klaus asked, "Why did you go to Alistair's?"

"Do I have to tell you?" Adrian asked. "It's kind of private."

"Would you rather tell your mother?" Klaus asked, an eyebrow going up.

"Oh, no," Adrian's eyes widened. "I just had to return something of Helene's that's all. A hairclip. And then by the time I'd done that it was raining and I was freaked out about coming back, so I just stayed there."

"Why couldn't you wait to give Helene her hairclip until morning?"

"Theoretically, I could have," Adrian said. "It's just that I didn't want to. And besides that, it wouldn't have been a good idea."

"And why is that?" Klaus asked.

"Because Helene's got a boyfriend now and he's around her all the time and..."

"And you're intimidated by him?" Klaus asked. "Please don't tell me you're intimidated by him."

"Well, no," Adrian said, "Despite the fact that he buried me alive when we were seven and has freaky magic powers, I'm not intimidated by him at all."

"So why are you avoiding him?"

"Well," Adrian cleared his throat. "He just brings out the worst in me, and that leads to a lecture from Helene that begins, 'If you just tried a little harder, I'm sure you could be friends.' And I just don't want to listen to it anymore, so I've decided that if I want to get nearer to her, it's got to be at a time when her boyfriend isn't around."

"Let me tell you a secret," Klaus said. "Your mother was married when she and I first met."

"She was?" Adrian asked.

"Oh, yes," he nodded. "Of course, she and her husband were on the outs at the time, and when we met he was an entire continent away, so that made getting to know her much easier, but she was still married."

"Wow," Adrian said. "I had no idea." He turned to Selina who was just coming into the kitchen. "You were married when you met Dad?"

"Technically yes I was," Selina nodded. "But did I care? No, not really. Actually," she looked up. "I was technically married to one guy and engaged to another."

"Who were you married to?" Adrian asked.

"Oh, nobody," Selina told him. "Just your uncle Aleksandr."

"You were married to Uncle Aleksandr and dating dad at the same time? Wow, Mom."

"I had no idea they were related at the time. And my fiance went off to war and died. Or he might as well have. I never saw him again after the day he left. At least not in any pleasant situations." Her expression darkened. She gave Adrian a look. "So, where were you last night and why couldn't it have waited until school today?"

"I was just returning something to Helene. And I _could_ have returned it to her at school, but she has a boyfriend, and he doesn't like me, and I know that you don't like the idea of me getting in fights, even for the purpose of self-defense, so I thought I'd avoid the situation entirely by seeing Helene at a time that her boyfriend wouldn't be there. And then it started to rain and I didn't want to get my clothes wet, and I'm very, very sorry. I'll never do it again."

"Well just see that you don't," Selina told him. "And I hope you brought the bagels like you said you would."

Adrian pointed to a white bag on the counter. "They're right there. And I bought cream cheese too."

"All right then," Selina nodded. "We won't say another word about this." She opened the bag, took out a bagel and then cut it in half and began spreading cream cheese on it. "Oh, this is good," she said. "Perfect way to start the morning."

She left the kitchen and Adrian and Klaus were alone again. "She seems much more mellow," Adrian noted. "Do I have you to thank for that?"

"Of course," Klaus nodded. "I covered for you last night."

"Thanks," Adrian said. "At least I left a note. Does that count for anything?"

"Perhaps," Klaus said. "Now do we pick up Helene today, or are they going to come and get you?"

"We go get Helene," Adrian said. "But we don't have to leave for a little while yet."

"Oh," Klaus said. "Right. I knew that."

After about an hour or so, Klaus and Adrian headed out to the car and they made their way to Alistair's.

"Mom's not going to go nuts again or anything, is she?" Adrian asked.

Klaus sighed. "I don't know. Just be careful. Watch what you say and don't do anything that will make her agitated."

"Including running off to Helene's in the middle of the night?"

"Exactly," Klaus nodded. "Even if you _do_ leave a note. And by the way, nothing..._happened_ while you were at Helene's right?"

Adrian frowned. "What do you mean by...?" Suddenly he got it and his eyes widened. "My god, Dad! Of course not!"

"Okay," Klaus said. "I just wanted to be sure."

"How ironic that it's you who's lecturing me on that." Adrian smirked.

"First of all," Klaus countered, gripping the wheel tighter, "I'm married and not a teenager, so it's different."

"Ah," Adrian nodded. "So nobody gave you the whole 'no sex or safe sex' lecture? I've heard stories from Uncle Elijah and I'm pretty sure there were quite a few fathers from the old country who probably felt you would have benefitted from a talk."

Klaus narrowed his eyes. "Yes, well we all have things that we've done in our lives that we aren't proud of don't we?"

Adrian rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on. Of course you are."

Klaus sighed. "Fine, but don't tell your mother."

"I'm not stupid," Adrian said. "You just told me not to do anything to aggrevate her and wouldn't telling her that count as aggrevating her?"

"Yes," Klaus nodded. "Yes, it would."

They arrived at Alistair's house and found Helene waiting outside on the front step. She saw them and got up, walking quickly toward the car. Adrian got out to hold the door for her and she cleared her throat and nodded to him. "Thank you," she said.

"You're welcome," he told her.

The ride to school was silent. No one really made an effort to talk. The air was full of a tension that Klaus was sure he wanted to talk to Adrian about later. When they got to school, Helene saw that Anthony was waiting for her. She strode over to him and then they walked away without a word. Adrian was about to head out himself, but Klaus grabbed him by the wrist. "And just who is that that Helene left with?" He asked.

"Oh," Adrian narrowed his eyes. "That's her _boyfriend_." He spat out.

"Go take him on," Klaus said. "Don't let him make a fool out of you."

"Lot of good that's going to do me if Helene hates me for it afterward," Adrian said.

"Well then try something else!" Klaus urged. "Show her why he's an idiot and that you're better, because you are! Do you think I just sat around waiting for your mother to come to me? No, I didn't! Because I am a man of action and you should be too!"

"But you didn't have any competition, really," Adrian said. "She and Uncle Aleksandr had split up by then and..."

"Yes, yes, yes," Klaus said, cutting him off. "It doesn't matter. Just go, would you?"

"All right," Adrian nodded. "See you later."

* * *

><p>By the time Klaus got back to the house, he'd come to a decision. It was obviously too late to convince Selina not to have a baby, but he could do what he had to to make sure she got through it okay, whether Vanessa decided to interfere or not, which she probably would. He found Selina laying on the living room floor with her eyes closed. She had some sort of weird new age music on, but otherwise the house was quiet. He stood over her, starting down at her, but said nothing until the song ended. Then she opened her eyes, looked up, and started. "Oh!" She said. "You're here! I didn't hear you come in." She hugged him and gave him a kiss.<p>

"No, you didn't, did you?" He asked once she pulled away. "I got Adrian to school all right."

"Good," she smiled. "And thank you so much for doing that. It really helps me out."

"Interesting thing, though," Klaus said. "I think there might be something going on between Adrian and Helene."

Selina was pouring milk in a glass to stick cookies into, but when she heard this, her hand froze midpour. "What kind of something?" She asked. "A bad something? Do we need to have a talk with him about responsible behavior?"

He grinned and ran a hand over her stomach. She was just beginning to show. "Do you really think we're in a position to talk to him about that?" He asked.

"Well yeah," Selina nodded. "We're married! It took five million years to get it done satisfactorily, but we got married before we had him, so I guess that would make us good examples, now wouldn't it?"

"Oh, please don't say that," Klaus said. "I don't like to think of myself as a good example for anything."

Selina rolled her eyes. "Of course you don't." She finished pouring milk in her glass and grabbed six cookies out of the jar, sitting down at the kitchen table and sticking the cookies in the milk before biting down on them. "So," she said once she'd swallowed, "Anything else you'd like to talk about?"

"Actually," he said, sitting next to her, "There is one more thing. You aren't going to like it, but I think it's important."

"What is it?" Selina asked. She felt nervous.

"I think you should take blood from me in case Vanessa tries to pull anything...I know you can handle it," he said as she opened her mouth to protest. "But just to be on the safe side, could you take my blood too?" He asked. "For me?"

"But you _know_ what I'm like when I have your blood in my system," she said. "I'm completely insane. I just don't think it's wise."

"Didn't stop you from taking it when you were pregnant with Adrian," Klaus said. "What's different now?"

"Well," Selina said, "I just...things seem different this time, you know? It was like, when I was pregnant with Adrian, it seemed like he was sort of egging me on to be reckless. I know that sounds weird, but that's how it was. I don't get that from this one," she looked down at her stomach. "I understand what you're saying, I understand that you're worried for my safety, but I just...I just don't think it would be smart for me to take blood from you. Because you mean big amounts this time, right? Not biting game amounts?"

He nodded. "The more you take, the longer it'll last."

"Yes, and the crazier I'll be and I'm nuts enough already without help from you," she said.

He put a hand under her chin and kissed her deeply. "_Please_?" He asked. "I really think it's the right thing to do, and honestly, I won't stop nagging you about it until you say yes."

She put her arms around his neck and kissed him back. When she pulled away, she sighed. "All right," she said. "But you have to be willing to put up with the consequences. Do you think you can do that?"

"Please," Klaus said. "It won't be difficult at all. I can handle it."

* * *

><p>It didn't turn out to be as easy as he thought, though. The night after Klaus gave Selina his blood, he came into their bedroom in the mood for a little affection, but instead of finding her in bed, eager and waiting, he found her standing in front of their full-length bathroom mirror and sobbing. "What's the matter?" he asked, kissing her neck. "Whatever it is, I bet I can make it better."<p>

"No!" She cried out, removing his hand from around her waist and sobbing. "I can't. I just can't!"

"Why not?" He asked.

"Well, look at me!" She sobbed. "I'm hideously fat and the dumb baby won't leave me alone!"

"What do you mean?" He asked, running his fingers through her hair and wiping the tears off her cheeks."

"Feel," she said.

He put a hand on her stomach. His eyes widened. "The baby's kicking."

She sniffled. "Yeah, it is."

"This is a good thing!" He said. "It's not something to get upset about. And you're not fat, you're pretty!"

She pouted at the mirror. "Yes I _am_ fat."

He put his arms around her. "But that'll go away soon," he said.

Her lip curled. "Not soon enough."

"Tell you what," he said. "Why don't we watch a movie? You can pick it. But first you have to smile for me."

She turned and gave him a small smile and he kissed her forehead. "See?" He said. "That wasn't so hard, was it?"

"No," she said. "I guess not."

"What movie do you want to watch?" He asked.

She thought a moment. "Well..."

* * *

><p>When she handed him the DVD, he did his best not to flinch. "<em>Titanic<em>? Really?"

"Yes," she nodded. "Is there a problem?"

"No," he said. "That's a great movie. I love it."

She kissed him. "Good." She sat down on the sofa while he popped it into the player. As the movie started up, he sat down next to her and put his arm around her and she snuggled against him. Well, he thought. Maybe this won't be so bad after all.

But it was. She spent the whole movie crying and at one point blew her nose all over his new shirt. And when Jack died, she turned to him with big, tear-filled eyes and asked "Isn't that sad?" He knew he was supposed to say yes, but what he really wanted to say was "Of course he died! He's in a frigid ocean with no protection from the the cold. How do you expect him to survive that? And Rose is pretty. If she has any sense at all, she'll move on!"

"Well?"

He looked down at her. "Yes," he said. "Of course it's sad."

"Yeah," she said, her voice shaking. "It always surprises me when he dies, because," she began to cry again. "I always thought love should have kept them together!" She burst into racking sobs and made to clutch at him, but he pulled away. "All right," he said, turning off the television and picking her up. "I think you should go to bed."

"Are you going to come too?" She asked.

"No," he said. "I'm going out. I need to do something manly like get really drunk or...kill somebody."

"Will you come back?" She asked.

"Yes," he said. "Once you stop crying and quoting the Captain and Tenille, I'll come back."

He took her up to their room, tucked her in, and shut off the lights. Then, he left the house and got in his car. He called Stefan and told him to meet him at the bar nearest to their house.

"So," Stefan said, "What's wrong with you? You look like hell."

Klaus growled. "I just spent three hours of my life watching _Titanic _with Selina. That's what happened."

Stefan burst out laughing. "She wanted you to watch _Titanic_ and you actually_ did_ it?"

"Yes, well," Klaus took a swig from his glass. "It's not the wisest course of action to upset her these days."

"Why not?" Stefan asked.

"Because," Klaus hesitated. Did he really want to explain further? "Because she's pregnant again," he finished.

Stefan's eyes widened. "What?" Beer sprayed all over the table. "What do you mean she's pregnant? And again? How is that even possible?"

"Werewolf gene," Klaus said.

Stefan punched Klaus in the face. This evolved into a fight that destroyed all the glassware in the bar. By the end of it, they were both drunk and bleeding heavily.

"I outta kill you!" Stefan said. "You've completely betrayed me."

"Oh, shut up!" Klaus said back. "You know Selina and I are together. You should have _known_ this would happen eventually."

"Well it wouldn't have if you would have been able to keep yourself in check," Stefan said.

"Don't even start," Klaus told him. "_She's _not so innocent. Dressing in those short skirts and the tight pants that give me such a good view of..." He trailed off as Stefan aimed another puch at him, but this time, he blocked it. "Now we are going to go back to the car," he said firmly, twisting Stefan's arm behind his back. "You are going to get back into your car and drive home and stay in bed until you're sober."

Stefan frowned at him, but they both left the bar and parted ways. As soon as the door to Klaus' car was closed, his phone rang. He answered it. It was Adrian. "Dad, you better get back here_ now_," he said.

"Why?" He asked. "What's the matter?"

"It's Mom," Adrian said. "She's lost it again. And it's bad this time."

Klaus hung up and put his foot on the gas, making it home at breakneck speed. He got out of the car, slammed the car door shut and ran inside. Just as he closed the door, though, two shots rang out and shook the house to its foundation. He paused and then ran in the direction of the bedroom. When he reached the door, he paused and punched it so hard that it cracked. He was too late. Selina was slumped across their bed, eyes open but blank, a smoking pistol in her hand and blood streaming from the two bullet wounds in her throat.


	41. Reverse Electra

Klaus couldn't look away. He knew she wasn't dead of course, but still. He heard a sound behind him and turned. Adrian was standing there, looking ashen. "So what should we do?" He asked. "Are we going to go in there?"

"Yes," Klaus nodded. "Call Alistair, tell him to come quickly."

Adrian nodded and ran for the kitchen where the phone was. Klaus forced himself to go into their bedroom and approach the bed. He sat down beside Selina's prone body. His weight on the bed made her blink and twitch. "What do you think you're doing?"  
>He whispered angrily, taking the gun from her hand. "Where did you get this?"<p>

"I don't know," her voice was flat. "Store, I guess."

"Well, did you buy it?"

Selina blinked again. "No. Compelled the guy at the store to give it to me."

Klaus sighed and went into the bathroom, grabbed a washcloth out of the drawer and turned the sink on to get it wet and then went back into the bedroom to wash the blood off her neck. "Why would you do something like this?" He asked. "You weren't like this with Adrian."

Selina noddded. "Yeah, I know. I just feel so...bad. I couldn't take it anymore."

Klaus eyed the gun wearily. "You knew this wasn't going to kill you, so why do it?"

She held out her hand and he pulled her up to a sitting position. "I don't know," she said at last. "I can't explain it. I just wanted to feel pain. To know that I still could. It makes no sense, I know, but..." she trailed off and shook her head. "But that's it. Her face contorted. "And there it is again."

Klaus put a hand on her stomach and sure enough, the baby was kicking away. "I just want it all to _stop_!" Selina complained.

"But you know it won't," Klaus said. "Not for another five months, anyway."

Just then the door opened and Selina started. Alistair came charging in. "What's going on?" He said. "Adrian called and told me that Selina got her hands on a gun. And that she used it!"

"Yeah," Selina said quietly. "I did. But what does that matter anyway? It didn't actually _do_ what it was supposed to. I mean, I'm still here."

"And that's a good thing," Alistair said severely. "What in the world is wrong with you? You know a gun won't kill you! All you did was make everyone that cares about you very upset."

Selina stood up. "Yeah, whatever. Save the lectures, Alistair. I bet I can recite all of them word for word." She left the bedroom and Klaus and Alistair watched her go."

"Well she's in an unusually sour mood," Alistair remarked. "Captain Obvious would say it has something to do with the baby."

"Do you think I should take her to see Enid in case something's, you know, _really wrong_? Or should we just chalk this up to a bad night and move on with our lives?" Klaus asked.

"Well what do you think?" Alistair asked him. "I don't know if there is such thing as a typical version of what she's going through. This could just be how this time is. And we can take comfort in the fact that she can't _really_ die, now can't we?"

"But," Klaus said, "She wasn't like this with Adrian. I mean, sure she had bad days, but she never tried to..."

"Don't forget in the beginning," Astrid strolled in. "In the beginning with Adrian she tried to. I tried to stop her and she knifed me too. It was because she was so worried about whether or not she'd be a good parent. But she knows that, so I wonder what could be bothering her now."

"Could you go ask, darling?" Alistair said.

"What?" Astrid said, pushing her blonde hair out of her eyes. "Why can't you?"

"You're so much better about these things than we are," Alistair said.

Astrid smirked. "Translation: you're scared of her and you don't want to be hurt."

"Exactly," Alistair nodded. "Maybe it's some woman thing and she'll be nicer to you."

Astrid rolled her eyes. "You two are pathetic, you know that, right?"

* * *

><p>Astrid found Selina in the kitchen. "More cookies?" She asked.<p>

Selina nodded. "Yeah, I'm not that hungry, though." She dipped one in the glass of milk half-heartedly, and then put it, soggy and dripping, back on the wooden table.

"Why did you do it?" Astrid asked. "What's wrong?"

"I told him what was wrong," Selina said. "I'm just sick of being pregnant! This is so much worse than it was last time. Or at least I feel worse."

Astrid sighed. "I know you're probably going to hate me for suggesting this, but why don't you go out and vent your frustration...on people, or something, anything at all. It might be good for you."

"Yeah," Selina nodded vigorously. "That's exactly what I need to do. It would help me so much."

"So then go do it!" Astrid said. "What's stopping you?"

"I don't want to," Selina said. "That's what's stopping me. I _need_ to have a good hunt, but I don't _want_ to. I've been drinking from bags ever since Alistair took me to see Enid, but it's like, I feel so confused. I want things. I want to run around and kill and do whatever night-hunterish things that I'm supposed to, but something's stopping me. It's like my mother's moved herself into my stomach and won't go away."

"Well that's strange," Astrid said. "I wonder why that would be."

Selina shrugged. "I don't know, but I really, really hate it."

"It'll get better," Astrid said. "Maybe whatever's going on is just temporary. Give it a couple of weeks and things will be better."

* * *

><p>But despite Astrid's optimism, she was wrong, and after another attempt at suicide from Selina, this time with a silver knife that was much more effective then the gun had been, Klaus decided he couldn't take it anymore.<p>

"Where are we going?" Selina asked when he lured her into his car and shut the door. She narrowed her eyes. "You're not shipping me off to your mother's, are you? I don't see_ what_ that'll accomplish."

"Well, it would get you out of my hair for a few months and maybe finally give Adrian and I a good night's rest," Klaus shot back. "You know, I was actually considering letting him move with Astrid and Alistair until this whole mess got over with?"

"So go ahead and do it," Selina began to file her nails. "Doesn't matter to me. I'll be too busy having a jolly time with Susan. You know how much I _love_ her."

Klaus put the brakes on hard and they both went shooting forward. "The attitude isn't really helping."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Selina said. "Am I bothering you? I apologize if a few little mood swings, the price, may I remind you, of carrying your child, is inconveniencing you."  
>"This whole mess was your idea in the first place," Klaus fumed. "Remember, <em>I <em>wanted to wait until we could be sure we were no longer in danger from Vanessa, but _no_, you said..."

"And who suggested we consume that entire pitcher of margaritas without a break?" Selina asked. "Yes, I believe that was you. So technically, it was your fault we were both drunk the night this baby was conceived, so there." She paused. "Besides, the Vanessa thing isn't even an issue anymore. Has a single thing happened in the last five months that would make it seem like she's still after us?" Selina asked.

"Well, no," Klaus said. "Not really."

"Exactly," Selina said. "She's lost interest, and we're fine."

"Somehow, I don't share those feelings," Klaus said as he started up the car again. "What if she's just biding her time to set up something worse?"

"Well it hasn't happened yet," Selina said. "So really, what's the point in worrying? If she does pull off some big thing, then we'll deal with it when we come to it."

Klaus pulled into the parking lot of a building and stopped the car. "Enid's?" Selina stared at him. "What are we doing at Enid's? I don't need to see her, Nicky. I'm fine."

"You don't seem fine," Klaus snapped. "Just humor me." He opened her door and led her resisting self into the bar. "Sit," he ordered her, pointing to a barstool. Grumbling under her breath, she sat.

"Now I'm going to look for Enid," he said. "Don't you move a muscle."

"Okay," Selina huffed. "I won't."

"Okay," Klaus watched her for a few more seconds, and when she didn't move, he went in search of Enid. He found her in her apartment.

"Hello," she said. "What can I do for you? Is something wrong with Selina? Did the two of you come to find out whether you're having a boy or a girl? It's that time, you know."

"Oh, is it?" Klaus asked. "I completely forgot, what with all the trouble and all."

"Trouble?" Enid's eyes widened. "What sort of trouble?"

"I think something's gone wrong," Klaus said as he led Enid down to the bar. "I think something's the matter with her."

"Are you all right?" Enid asked Selina, looking her over.

"So I've had a few mood swings," Selina said. "He's worrying for nothing, Enid. Really."

"She tried to kill herself twice!" Klaus said. "That is _not_ nothing!"

"Oh, dear," Enid said.

"So something _is _wrong!" Klaus said triumphantly, looking at Selina. "I told you."

"I have good news and I have bad news," Enid said. "Which one do you want to hear first?"

"Good news of course," Selina said.

"Good news is that you're going to have a girl."

"Really?" Selina's eyes widened. She felt happier then she had in awhile. "That's great!" As she watched Enid's troubled expression, her face fell. "Is it not great?"

"Oh," Enid shook her head. "Of course it's great. But now for the bad news: you'll have to work much harder with this one than you did with Adrian. Bonding with her, I mean, no matter what you might feel toward her."

"Why?" Selina asked.

Enid sighed. "It's a werewolf thing. Not one of my brighter ideas, I'll admit. It has to do with the reason why I created werewolves in the first place. Do you remember why that was?"

"I think so," Selina nodded. "You'd been dumped one too many times, you were angry, and it was your way to have revenge."

"Exactly," she nodded. "And since I originally only intended for werewolves to be men, when women ended up with the gene, they turned out a little nutty."

"Nutty how?" Selina asked. Her eyes narrowed.

"Well," Enid said, "I wanted to make sure that no woman was ever disappointed in love like I'd been, so I made werewolf couples mate for life."

"So what does that have to do with the baby?" Klaus asked.

"Just give me a minute and I'll tell you," Enid said. "Fully activated female werewolves are extremely possessive. Like I said, they mate for life, and they don't like the idea of anyone else butting in on their relationship with their mate. So if a fully realized werewolf female has a daughter and then later feels that the baby and her father are becoming too close...she'll kill the baby. It's happened before. Several times. That's why there are more male werewolves to begin with and why females are so rare. Not many of them live long enough to activate the gene. And why there aren't too many genuine werewolves alive anymore."

"What are genuine werewolves?" Selina asked. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean a werewolf who has two parents with the gene," Enid said. "In most cases, werewolf babies come from a potential or activated werewolf and their human mate. Just like the two of you did."

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "Just like we did." She paused and ran a hand over her stomach. "So do you think that's why my mother and I never really got along? The inherent mistrust that poisons the mother daughter werewolf bond?"

"Perhaps," Enid said. "Although, never having seen you and your mother together, I can't be sure. The point is though, don't let your emotions get the best of you. Do everything you can to keep this little girl alive. You'll be glad you did."

"I know," Selina said. She sighed. "I'll do my best, I promise. No more suicide attempts."

"No," Enid said. "Those aren't good."

"What can we do to help with that?" Klaus asked. "Should I send her to my mother's?"

"Actually," Enid said, "it might be best if she stayed here. That wouldn't bother you, would it?"

"No," Klaus said. "Please, take her."

Enid grinned sympathetically. "Looks like you haven't had a good night's sleep in weeks."

Klaus nodded. "I haven't."

"Well," Enid said, "you go home, have a good rest, and I'll watch over Selina for you."

"Thanks," Klaus said. He gave Selina a kiss and then left the bar.


	42. Roxanne

Klaus found that Adrian was waiting for him when he got back. "So did you get Mom off all right?" he asked.

Klaus nodded. "I did. It'll be better for her I think. For all of us."

Adrian grinned. "I'm proud of you, Dad. You sent Mom off and you didn't even think of what you'll be missing out on now that she's gone. Unless you're planning to take me to a bar and teach me how to hit on cocktail waitresses." He eyed Klaus hopefully.

Klaus shook his head. "I don't think so. It would just be a waste of time. I don't know what I'm going to do to make up for it, but it won't be that."

A few minutes later, there was knocking at the front door. Adrian went to answer it and was surprised when Elijah and Alistair strode in the front door. They pushed Klaus onto the sofa and sat on either side of him. "You have to listen to us," Alistair said. "No matter how hard it will be, don't you dare cheat on Selina. Leaving her with Enid was one of the best things you could have done for her, and you can still phone, so it's not like she's going to be gone forever."

"Exactly," Elijah continued. "After all this time, you must realize that trying make up for her absence by being with other women is only going to make your feelings of loneliness worse and not better."

"Oh, I know," Klaus said. "You don't need to tell me that. I've already decided that I'm going to be celibate if I have to."

"What?" Alistair said in surprise. "Are you serious?" He looked questioningly at Adrian. "Is he serious?"

"Yes," Adrian nodded. "That's what he said before you guys got here, and I don't even think he's lying either."

"He has to be," Elijah said. "Or at least he's going to break that vow by next week at the latest."

"I will not!" Klaus said.

"Wanna bet?" Elijah asked, looking at Alistair.

Alistair nodded. "I think I do. If he breaks down by the end of next week, I'll be the one to go with Niklaus to the hospital when Selina goes into labor."

Elijah nodded. "And if he doesn't, I will."

They shook on it, wished Klaus good luck and left the house.

* * *

><p>But that vow wasn't as easy to keep as he'd thought. He'd been serious about the cocktail waitresses of course, something Adrian was still bummed about, but his newfound resolve to keep Alistair from losing the bet didn't mean that he didn't get lonely, especially at night. After a week of sleepless nights, even Adrian began to notice the toll it was taking on him.<p>

"Dad, are you all right?" Adrian asked after passing Klaus the coffeepot for what seemed like the fiftieth time. "It doesn't seem like you've been sleeping at all."

"Well," Klaus said, filling his coffee cup again, "that's because I haven't. I'm not good at sleeping alone."

"So go get somebody for a couple of months," Adrian said. "Why don't you?"

"Because," Klaus said, "just having some random woman in my bed isn't going to help any. I need your mother specifically."

"Why don't you go back to Enid's and get her?" Adrian asked. "It's been a week. I'm sure she's calmed down by now and there's no sense in making yourself miserable if it can be avoided."

"No," Klaus shook his head. "Elijah and Alistair have that bet going and I don't want to ruin it for Alistair. Besides, I can do this. I can. I just need to think of some way to distract myself."

"Like what?" Adrian asked.

Klaus shrugged. "I don't know. But I'll think of something."

Just then, a car horn honked and Adrian stood up. "There's Alistair. I've got to get going to school, but I'll let him know that you're risking your sanity so he'll win. I think he's going to appreciate that."

* * *

><p>"How's your father?" Alistair asked once Adrian got in the car.<p>

"Not really good," Adrian said. "He hasn't slept well since he sent Mom away. I told him I was sure she'd calmed down by now and that they should just get back together so he'll stop making himself miserable, but he's determined to stick it out and help you win your bet with Uncle Elijah."

"He is?" Alistair asked in surprise. "Well that's nice."

"And what about you?" Helene asked. "Are you doing all right?"

Adrian nodded. "Yeah, of course. I'm fine. Although I'm sure if the person I loved was unavailable to me, I'd be messed up too."

"Do you think that'll ever happen to you?" Helene asked.

Adrian cleared his throat as Alistair caught his eye in the review mirror. "I hope not," he said.

Helene took his hand. "I hope not too."

"But you have Anthony," Adrian pointed out."

"What?" Helene's eyes widened. "Anthony? You think I feel _that way_ about him? Oh, no, Adrian don't be silly!"

"Really?" Adrian frowned. "But I thought..."

"We study together," Helene said. "That's all. But why does it matter so much to you?"

"No real reason," Adrian said, pulling his hand from hers. "It's just that when someone tries to kill you, you don't like them very much, that's all."

Helene sighed. "That's one thing. He has a bit of a temper. That's why, if we were older, I'd _never_ go out with him. But he's the only one around school who knows how to do magic, you know? So we're like kindred spirits. That's all I see in him, really."

"Oh," Adrian said, feeling sheepish. "Well that...that's good. Because I would hate to see you with someone who didn't appreciate you."

"You would?" Helene asked. "That's very sweet."

They sat in awkward silence for a few moments and then Adrian cleared his throat and leaned forward to talk to Alistair. "So did you catch baseball last night? What about those Red Sox?"

* * *

><p>It was after midnight and Selina was sitting on a barstool watching television on mute when she heard the front door of the bar rattling. She stood up and walked cautiously to the front door and peered out one of the side windows. She gasped. The figure by the door was dark and menacing, but the way he dealt with the door made it clear that he wanted in. She shut her eyes, took a deep breath, and opened the door just a hair. "Who is it?" She whispered, shivering a little from the the cold air that was coming in. "What do you want?"<p>

"Let me in," the voice whispered back. "You're going to be sorry if you don't. We both are."

"Wait," Selina paused a moment, then stepped back from the door. "Nicky, is that you?"

"Yes," he hissed. "Yes, it's me."

She opened the door the rest of the way. "What are you doing here? I thought this separation was supposed to be until I had the baby." She looked at him hopefully. "Have you come to take me back with you? I'm much calmer than I was when you dropped me off, I swear."

"No," he said as he stepped inside. "I can't do that."

She pouted. "Then what did you come for?"

"I came," he said, sitting on a barstool and stealing a bottle of beer from behind the counter and popping it open, "because I have discovered that I'm terrible at sleeping alone. Haven't actually spent a night in bed since I left you here."

"I understand," Selina nodded. "Me either."

"Well that's not good," he said, swallowing. "You need your rest."

"I know," she said ruefully. "It's just that..." she reached her hand out and he took it. "...I'm terrible at sleeping alone too."

He kissed her. "So what are we going to do short of me taking you home?"

She shrugged."I don't know. I can't think of anything."

He pulled out a small bag and put it on the bar. "What's that?" She asked.

"I brought you a little something," he said.

"Huh," she took it out and looked it over. "It's one of your shirts," she said confusedly. "Does it have a hole in it that you need me to sew up?"

"No," he said. "It's for you."

"Why?" She asked, still looking it over.

"Well," he said, "I thought that if you had one of my shirts and I had something of yours, then we could pretend like we were with each other without actually _being_ with each other."

"Or I could just come home," Selina said.

"Even Enid thinks you should stay here until the baby's born," Klaus reminded her.

"Oh, I know," she said. "And it hasn't been so bad. I took up knitting again. Adrian will need a scarf and some mittens for when it snows. And probably a sweater as well. And you too. Even if you won't wear it and neither will he." She gave him a look.

He grinned at her and shrugged. "What can I say? I walk on the wild side."

"Oh, whatever," Selina said. She went up to her room and came back with one of her spare negligees, spritzed with her perfume. "That should hold you for awhile," she said.

He nodded. "Thank you."

She put her arms around him. "You're welcome." She sat back down again. "So has Elijah been to visit since I left?"

"Yes, actually," Klaus nodded. "He and Alistair have a bet going. They had this idea in their heads that I'd cheat on you after a week because I'm incapable of delaying gratification. If I cheated on you after a week, Alistair will come with you and me to the hospital when you go into labor, and if I'm able to hold out, which I am, Elijah will have to come with us."

"Wow," Selina said. "They really need to find other things to do with their time."

"Yes," Klaus nodded. "And I've figured out what _I'm _going to do to distract myself. I'm going to take Adrian hunting!"

"Oh," Selina said. "Like a father-son bonding thing? That's a good idea! And it won't be like when you took me camping because Adrian's actually competent outdoors."

"Definitely," Klaus nodded. "Not that it wasn't delightful pulling bugs out of your hair and getting soaked to the skin when the tent caved in on us because it was raining too hard."

"Actually," she grinned, "I _did_ kind of enjoy that part."

He kissed her and ran his hands over her body. "Me too."

They pulled apart slowly. "I should go," Klaus said. "I left Adrian by himself."

"Yes," She nodded. "Bye, Nicky. Thanks for coming."

He nodded. "You're welcome. Thanks for letting me in."

She laughed. "You're welcome."

He grinned just before shutting the door to the club. "'Night, love."

"'Night, honey," she replied. He shut the door and she turned back to the television, rubbing his shirt against her cheek.

* * *

><p>A week later, just before the end of the school day, Adrian was at his locker when one of his friends handed him a flyer. "What's this for?" Adrian asked.<p>

"It's for Rob Mettler's pool party," Josh replied. "His parents are going to be out of town. Think you'll wanna come?"

Adrian smiled. "Of course I'll want to come!"

Josh nodded. "Girls in bikinis. What's not to like? Do you think your parents will let you out of the house or will you have to come up with some lie to get out and away?"

"No," Adrian shook his head. "I should be able to get away. Mom's gone and Dad doesn't really care what I do."

"Great," Josh said. "See you there. And since Rob's the captain of the football team over at the high school, you'll be able to show him what a good arm you have. Word on the street is that he always lets the coach know about good future prospects."

"Sounds great," Adrian said. "See you there."

Josh grinned. "Sounds great."

"What do you have there?" Helene had snuck up behind Adrian and snatched the flyer out of his hand. She read it over and gave him a look. "A pool party? Really? But it's October!"

"Heated indoor pool," Adrian said. "Not a problem."

"You aren't actually going to _go_, are you?" Helene asked. "We have that math test next week and you have to study if you're planning on passing the class at all."

Adrian slammed his locker door shut. "I'm not just going to the party because I want to have a good time," Adrian said. "I'm going because it's a good career move. The guy whose party it is is the captain of the football team at the high school and apparently word has gotten around that I'm hot stuff and I wouldn't want to deny Rob Mettler the chance to see my genius for himself." He grinned.

Helene rolled her eyes. "Then what are you going to do about the math test? You can't fail another one, Adrian. I've seen your grades."

Adrian turned. "Look, the only reason why I haven't been doing so well is math is because I've been stupid and behaving like a human all year. It's about time I handled this another way."

"No," Helene shook her head. "You aren't going to influence Miss Ryan to give you an 'A.' That's dishonest."

He burst out laughing. "Oh, you mean like when you _magically_ made all the frogs in the biology lab come back to life and hop away on the day we were supposed to dissect them? That was underhanded, wasn't it?"

"Saving animals from being dissected is different than influencing a teacher to give me a good grade," Helene said. "When _I_ do things, it's for the benefit of the greater good. When _you_ use your powers, you're just being self-serving."

Adrian burst out laughing. "What are you even talking about? Do you think those frogs actually _care_ that you saved their lives? Do you think that when we aren't around, they have some sort of secret society where they talk to each other and have your picture hung up somewhere with writing underneath it that says 'friend to the frogs'? Be realistic Helene! At least I've never gotten suspended!"

"That doesn't matter," she said. "I was a martyr and it's just so sad that Principal Rimer has no respect for our animal friends. Mom and Dad supported me all the way."

"Whatever," Adrian said, walking away. "Your dad's probably waiting for us."

Helene shook her head as she strode after him. "You're going to be sorry you didn't study for the math test. Something's going to make you sorry. It's called karma and it's never pretty."

* * *

><p>When Alistair dropped Helene and Adrian off at Adrian's house, he felt compelled to comment on the strange car in the driveway. "Did your parents go out and buy a new vehicle?" He asked Adrian.<p>

Adrian leaned forward and stared at the car out the windshield. "No, that's Aunt Anna's car. But I don't see Dad's. I wonder where he went." He got out of the car and Helene followed.

"You know," she said, "I've never met your aunt before. Is she better than your dad, or worse?"

"She gave us Rusty," Adrian said. "What do you think?"

"I think I like her," Helene said. "Anyone who would show affection to a defenseless creature is..."

"Actually," Adrian interrupted, "she turns all her ex-boyfriends into animas and then drains them. Rusty used to be a multimedia genius who got too clingy or something like that."

"So she makes little animals and then she kills them?" Helene looked ill. "That's horrible!"

"Hey," Adrian said, "at least she saved Rusty. And I wonder when he's going to get old. We've had him forever." Adrian stepped into the house and Anna came to meet him. "So how was school?" She asked. "Is that just where you're getting back from?"

"Yes," Adrian nodded. Anna's eyes roamed over to Helene. "So who's your little friend?"

"Oh," Adrian said, "Aunt Anna, this is Helene, Alistair's daughter."

"I stay here after school sometimes," Helene said. "Nice to meet you." She looked at Adrian. "I'm going to run to the bathroom. Be back in a minute."

Once she was gone, Anna gave Adrian a look. "Human girl?" she asked, one eyebrow raised.

"No," Adrian shook his head. "Witch. Alistair's daughter, remember?"

"Oh, yes," Anna nodded. "I _thought_ you were a little young to be accumulating concubines. I was going to have a word with your father about that." She sat down and began filing her nails.

"Speaking of Dad," Adrian said, "Where _is _he?"

"He's at the car lot," Anna rolled her eyes. "He said he needed to buy a new car for some reason and that he'd be back soon. That was right after I got here."

"What's he need a new car for?" Adrian asked, frowning.

Anna shrugged. "Don't ask me what goes on in that head of his. Personally, I think he's losing his mind without your mother, but that's just me."

Helene came back. "So," she said to Adrian, "ready to study for the math test?"

"That's a _week_ away," Adrian said through his teeth. "And I already _told _you what I was going to do."

"Well, I was kind of hoping that you'd reconsider, but..."

"But nothing," Adrian said firmly. "Nothing is going to change my mind."

It was then that he felt all the muscles in his body start to freeze. He opened his mouth to cry out, but soon he couldn't move at all. He collapsed on the ground, frozen, his eyes blank and staring up at the ceiling.

Anna stood up and looked at Helene. "What did you _do_ to him?"

"I just froze him a little," Helene said. "It won't hurt him or anything." She picked him up by the wrist and dragged his body to his room and left the door open a crack so nobody would think they were up to anything. Then, she changed him back. He sat up, coughing. His body felt incredibly stiff. "What the hell did you do _that_ for?" He demanded.

"I had to do something to get you in here so we could study," she said, not looking sorry at all. "I knew you wouldn't come on your own."

"I told you," he said. "I have the test all under control!"

"No," Helene shook her head resolutely. "I'm not going to let you do it that way!"

He narrowed his eyes at her. "You think you can stop me?"

"Yeah," she said. "I can. Now about that part on integers and the FOIL method..."

Adrian pushed his desk chair to the floor with a loud crash. "Shut up!" he yelled. "Just shut up!"

"Make me," she replied.

"Okay," he said. He snatched the mathbook out of her hands, pinned her against the bedroom wall and kissed her. She was surprised at first, but quickly put her arms around his neck and kissed him back. It took a little time before he pulled away, but when he did, she couldn't think of a word to say.

"See?" He said, his voice cracking. "Told you I could make you shut up."

She just nodded and ran from the room.

He was breathing hard. He picked up the chair and put the math book on it. Then he cleared his throat, sat down, and waited for her to come back.

* * *

><p>On the way home from Adrian's, Alistair noticed that Helene wasn't speaking. "Are you all right, darling?" he asked her. "I haven't heard a peep out of you since we left. Usually you'd have given me a detailed account of all of Adrian's little annoying qualities by now."<p>

Helene opened her mouth to speak, but she couldn't. Her lips just opened and closed like a fish's but no sound came out. Her cheeks reddened. She opened her mouth to try again, but nothing.

"That's strange," Alistair said. "Why can't you talk? You've never had problems with it since the day you opened your mouth."

Helene narrowed her eyes at him. "All right, all right," he said quickly. "We'll wait until we get home and then we'll ask your mother. Maybe _she'll _be able to tell us what's wrong with you."

They arrived a few minutes later and Alistair led Helene inside, calling for Astrid.

"What is it?" She asked, rushing to them.

"Something's happened to Helene," Alistair said. "She can't seem to speak. She's tried to, but she just can't."

"You think it's something magical that's done it?" Astrid asked, looking Helene over.

"I don't know," Alistair shrugged. "Do you?"

"Not at just a glance, no," Astrid shook her head. "I'll go check my magic books." She brought out an armload and looked through them all, but nothing seemed right. At least not until the last book. It was one on general witch biology. "Sometimes," Astrid read, "when a witch experiences a major shock, it renders them unable to speak, much like what humans call selective mutism."

Astrid shut the book and looked at Helene. "What shock did you experience?" She asked. "Did something happen at Adrian's?"

Helene shook her head. Then paused and grabbed a slip of paper from the drawer and wrote on it: he kissed me.

"What?" Alistair asked when he read it.

Helene took the paper back: well I thought we should study and he didn't want to, so he told me to shut up and then I told him to make me and then...he kissed me. It wasn't rough or anything like that. It just...was.

"Well," Astrid said, "that's a relief. I thought it was something worse."

* * *

><p>On the night of the pool party, Adrian was on his way out when Klaus put a hand on his shoulder. "Where are you going?" he asked.<p>

"Pool party," Adrian said. "Goodbye."

He made to leave, but Klaus kept a firm grip on him. "Really?" Klaus said. "Because I have other ideas...better ones."

"What?" Adrian asked. He felt his heart begin to sink. With a grin on his face, Klaus asked Adrian to follow him to the garage. He stood nervously as his father pulled a sheet from a mysterious shape in the far corner.

"Ta-da!" Klaus said.

"What in the world is that?" Adrian asked.

"Camper," Klaus said grandly. "I got it with your mother and then I thought I'd fix it up for you and me."

"Why?" Adrian asked.

"We don't spend enough time together so I thought it would be fun if we went on a hunting trip," Klaus said. "Just you and me. What do you think?"

"I think I have a party to get to so..." Adrian tried to get out of the garage but Klaus closed the door. "I said, 'what do you think'?"

Adrian laughed nervously. "I think it's great, Dad."

"Wonderful!" Klaus crowed. "Now I've already packed everything for us, so we can leave right now."

"What?" Adrian cried "Now?"

"Yes," Klaus said, herding Adrian into the front seat of the camper. "This'll be so much fun!"

"Oh, my god, Dad," Adrian rolled his eyes. "You _really_ need to get laid, don't you?"

"No," Klaus said through his teeth. "Of course I don't."

"So how long is this trip going to be?" Adrian asked.

"Oh," Klaus shrugged. "Until your mother has the baby."

"But that's like four months away!"

"It'll be good for you to connect with nature."

Adrian rolled his eyes. There was no talking to his father when he got like this. He looked mournfully out the window of the camper. "Goodbye house," he whispered to himself. "Who knows if I'll be coming back..."

Klaus rolled his eyes. "It's not going to be that bad. It'll only be worse if you complain about it."

Adrian looked at him sourly as Klaus started up the camper. They were on their way.

* * *

><p>All in all, it ended up not being the paradise that Klaus anticipated. The camper broke down in the middle of nowhere and they ended up setting up camp there, feeding on nothing but animals, especially rabbits. They both hated rabbits. Then, after two months of having pleasant weather, it began to snow and there was only one bed in the camper, so Klaus had to sleep under blankets on the kitchen table, which was <em>not <em>comfortable, but at least they were wearing warm clothes because miraculously, the packages of clothes that Selina had knitted them managed to find them in spite of everything. After one more month, Klaus had decided he'd had enough. He got on the phone and called Selina.

"Love, since your packages found us, I assume you know where we are."

"Yeah," Selina said. "I do. You really shouldn't have stopped at such an out of the way place."

"Well it's not really our fault. The camper broke down and we don't know how to fix it."

"Well do you want me to come get you?"

"Would you, please? You're a darling."

Selina hung up the phone and rolled her eyes. "How's the hunting trip going?" Pete asked.

"Horrible, apparently," Selina said. "The camper broke down so they've been stuck in the middle of nowhere for months and now they want me to come and pick them up to bring them back to civilization."

"I'll come with you," Pete offered. "The weather looks like it's going to be nasty and I wouldn't want to you to be driving by yourself in case something went wrong."

Selina grinned. "Well thank you, Pete."

They got in the car and Selina gave Pete directions to the location of the broken down camper. He soon found Adrian and Klaus huddled against it sharing a rabbit. It was snowing hard by then.

"You two ready to go back to civilzation?" Pete asked, after making sure it was them.

Adrian stood up eagerly. "Yes, yes we are. I haven't eaten well for weeks!"

Pete looked around. "I just bet you haven't."

Klaus and Adrian followed him to the car and got into the backseat. They began driving back to the bar. When they were about halfway back, Pete lost control of the car and slid into a tree. The car was wrecked, and when Selina opened her eyes again, she felt wet all around her. And pain. Familair, intense pain. She saw Pete, half conscious in the seat beside her. "Can you get up?" She whispered. He said nothing. She shut her eyes and screamed.

At that, Klaus sat up groggily. "What is it? What's the matter?"

"The baby's coming," she gritted her teeth. "That's what's the matter!" She managed to unbuckle her seatbelt and push Pete into the back seat so she could stretch out in the front. Klaus was still acting as if he wasn't quite there. Selina growled. She was going to have this baby by herself.

"Mom?" Adrian said quietly. He had a cut on his forehead and some bruises, but other than that, he seemed alert. "What's going on?"

"Your sister's coming," Selina screamed again. "For god's sake, help me!"

"All right," Adrian cried. "What do I do?"

"Climb up here!" Selina said.

"Oh, God," Adrian cried. "This'll scar me for life!"

"Oh, shut up," Selina said. "You can't have a baby when you're wearing clothes, so buck up!"

Adrian took a steadying breath. "Okay. I'm fine. I'm good."

Selina took his hand and squeezed it all through delivery.

"Okay," Selina said after awhile, "It's coming. Now get the towels out of the back so you can wrap her in them when she comes out. Then call Astrid and Alistair and tell them what happened because this hunk of junk clearly won't be taking us anywhere fast."

She screamed a couple more times and nearly cut off Adrian's circulation, but eventually, the baby came out. It was a girl just as Enid had said. Adrian called Astrid and Alistair and eventually they were able to move everyone back to Enid's, where she took care of Pete and Klaus and Selina rested up.

When Astrid brought the baby in, Selina grinned as she looked her over. She looked strong and healty with a tuft of black hair. "I think she's going to be a tough one," Enid said, smiling. "She'd have to be to come out in conditions like that. So what are you going to call her?"

Just then, Klaus came into the room. He looked tired and he was still healing, but he was otherwise all right. "So," Selina said when he was standing next to the bed. "What should we call our daughter?"

At that moment, Klaus' cell phone rang. It was Elijah asking if everyone was okay. He assured him they were and then hung up.

"Your ring tone," Selina said, "is that 'Roxanne' by the Police?"

"Yes," Klaus nodded.

"You know," she said, looking down at the baby, "I kind of like that. Roxanne. Roxie for short."

Klaus nodded and patted the baby's head. "Me too."


	43. Letting Go

Despite Enid's forboding warning about how difficult it would be having another girl in the house, it was actually quite easy. After six months, a routine developed. Roxie, it seemed, preferred Klaus' company to Selina's and while it irked Selina at first, she eventually learned to be grateful for it. With Klaus spending more time with Roxie, it gave her more of a break. She didn't feel as worn out as she had with Adrian. It had been harder in the beginning though.

Elijah had stopped by a week after they'd arrived home and after asking about the accident again, commented dryly, "as worried as I was about it, part of me is glad it happed."

"Saved you from having to make good on your bet with Alistair?" Selina asked knowingly.

"I would have gone," he said. "It's the honorable thing to do."

"But I would have scared the hell out of you," Selina bit her lip on a smile and nodded. "Makes sense. But I was actually a lot better this time."

"Actually she was," Klaus concurred. He was holding Roxie. "Much better this time."

Elijah went to stand by Klaus. "So, Niklaus," he said, "Have you told Mother about this yet?"

"No, we haven't," Klaus said. "She likes to be angry about these things, so we aren't going to tell her. It'll give her a chance to storm in here and demand to know what we were thinking about leaving her in the dark. It'll just make her day."

Selina snickered. "It really will."

Elijah rolled his eyes. "So I take it you don't want me here for when she finds out?"

"You're always welcome," Selina said. "You can stay if you'd like."

Just then, the door burst open. "Speak of the devil," Selina whispered. Elissavetta strode into the living room. She was livid. She looked down at Roxie and then angrily up at Klaus. "And just who is that?" She asked, pointing to Roxie. "Is that my new grandchild that I only just heard about now from Susan?"

"Yes," Klaus nodded. "We were going to tell you, Mother. She just came into the world quite suddenly. We weren't really prepared for her yet."

"That's no excuse," Elissavetta snapped. "You know how I don't like being left out of things like this. And why didn't you send her to me?"

"Because I told him I didn't want to come to your house again," Selina said through her teeth. "You know I don't like to impose."

Elissavetta turned and let her red velvet cloak fall to a puddle on the floor. "You know it wouldn't have been an imposition. I would have _loved_ having you."

"Well thank you very much," Selina said. "I'll remember that."

Klaus handed Roxie to Elissavetta. "Her name is Roxanne."

"How unsual," Elissavetta commented.

"It's from _Ivanhoe_," Selina said. "Or _Cyrano_. Take your pick."

Elissavetta cuddled Roxie. "She seems nice."

"Interesting that she's taken to you," Selina remarked. "She hasn't really taken a liking to anyone except Klaus."

"Not even _you?"_ Elissavetta remarked. "Well at least that shows she has _some_ taste."

Selina narrowed her eyes. "I'm going to choose to ignore that remark."

Just then, Adrian came into the room. He saw Elissavetta and grinned. "Hi, Grandma. What brings you here?"

"Oh," Elissavetta said, "I just heard from your Aunt Susan that you had a new little sister and I had to come see her for myself because nobody thought to tell me about her until now."

"But I _did_ tell you," Adrian said. "Two months ago, you called and asked where Mom was and I told you that she wasn't feeling well and had to be sent away."

"How could I possibly have figured out that she was having a baby from that?" Elissavetta asked.

Adrian shrugged. "I thought it would be obvious to you. What else would make her sick, after all?"

"Well," Elissavetta shrugged. "It doesn't matter. The point is that I know now."

* * *

><p>That had been the beginning, and Elissavetta had stopped by several more times after that, some at times when Selina wasn't home, happily enough. Everything was perfect. Although she and Klaus hadn't had any extended periods of alone time for quite awhile, they still found time for short bursts of togetherness in between Adrian's sports and school and the playgroup Selina had convinced Klaus to take Roxie to.<p>

"I don't see why we have to do this," Klaus said as he watched Selina wrestle with Roxie who was vigorously resisting as Selina attempted to get on her clothes for the day, a pink sundress and little socks with lace around the edges with matching pink shoes. "She obviously doesn't want to go. She senses that you're making her do something stupid."

"Oh, please," Selina narrowed her eyes and then screamed in triumph as she managed to get the sundress over Roxie's head. "That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard." She put Roxie's socks on and her shoes and then handed her off to Klaus. Roxie immediately quieted and snuggled against him. Selina rolled her eyes.

"Not jealous are you?" Klaus asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, no," Selina shook her head. "Trust me, you'd know if I was." She bade them goodbye and then Adrian came to meet her. "So, they're on their way again," he observed. "And from the look on your face can I assume Roxie was being cooperative as usual?"

Selina groaned. "Yes, of course she was. You were never that difficult. If you _had_ been, I probably wouldn't have had any more children." She went into the kitchen. Adrian followed and began peeling an apple. "So what are you going to do with yourself once I leave for the day?"

"Oh, nothing," Selina got the cereal out of the cabinet. "I just have some meetings about beginning-of-the-school-year things to go to, and Astrid and I are going out for lunch, and then I have to do something for your grandmother which I am _not_ looking forward to, and then I get to come back here."

"Ah," Adrian nodded. "Sounds like you've got a full day."

Selina nodded."Are you going to meet Helene? She called and asked me if you were." Selina eyed him curiously. "She hasn't been here in six months. Why is that?"

Adrian shrugged and shuffled his feet nervously. "I don't know. How am I supposed to know how a girl's mind works?"

"Well I was just asking," Selina said as she poured milk on her cereal.

Just then a car horn honked outside. "There's my ride," Adrian exclaimed, giving Selina a kiss and then darting from the kitchen. "See you later, Mom!"

"Bye," Selina called, coming to the front door and watching out the screen, even though he was already gone. She sighed and grabbed her purse so she could go to the meetings at school the beginning of another endlessly monotonous day.

* * *

><p>That night, she considered getting into something sexy for when Klaus got home, but honestly, she was too tired. She made some tea, put on her sweats and grabbed a book, sitting on her bed and reveling in the silence after listening to Elissavetta drone on for several hours about nothing. Why she had to do that Selina still had no idea, and why she couldn't have picked Susan to be the one to listen to her rants? That was a mystery too. She shuddered and opened her book, beginning to read it.<p>

She was halfway through when a knock on the bedroom door made her jump. "Come in," she called. Klaus entered a few seconds later.

"What did you knock for?" Selina asked curiously. "You don't need to. This is your room too. How was playgroup? Did any of the moms hit on you today?"

He winced. "Always. They apparently find it charming that I'm such a good parent and assume that because it's not her mother taking her that I'm single."

"Ah," Selina nodded. "Time with Roxie and women throwing themselves at you," Selina grinned. "Must've been heaven for you."

"No," Klaus shook his head. "Definitely not. I can't _stand_ those simpering women. Or their snot-nosed little brats." He winced. "So what did _you_ do today?" He looked her over. "Oh, dear."

"What?" She put her book down and leaned toward him. "What's the matter?"

"Did I do something wrong that I don't know about?"

Selina shook her head. "No, why?"

"Well," he indicated her outfit. "You're wearing your 'don't touch me' sweats, so I figure I must have done something."

"Oh, no." Selina looked down at them. "It's not that. I'm just tired and these are comfy. I had to spend the day doing errands with your mother."

"Oh," Klaus said. "I'm sorry."

Selina nodded. "It's all right." She yawned and put her book down. "I'm tired. I think I'll just go to bed."

Klaus nodded. "Yeah, me to. Good night, darling."

Selina grinned. "Good night."

* * *

><p>The next morning, Selina was wide awake just before sunrise. She knew she wasn't going to be able to get back to sleep, so she roused Klaus who was half awake anyway. "I have an idea," she whispered.<p>

He blinked. "Okay, but I have to warn you that it won't be as good because I'm not quite awake yet."

"No," Selina shook her head. "Not for that. I just thought it would be kind of nice if, since Adrian was gone, we put Roxie in the stroller and went out to watch the sunrise."

"Okay," Klaus got out of bed and dressed in comfy clothes. Selina did the same. Then, they went and got sleeping Roxie out of her crib and put her in the jogging stroller and then walked to the park. They sat on a bench and parked the stroller beside it, holding hands and kissing as the sun came up. Then, Selina just held him. It was one of their first beautiful moments in awhile. Then, they went back to the house and slept for a few more hours before starting the day, which began, fittingly enough, with Roxie.

"She's so much more pleasant when she's asleep," Selina observed. "Adorable even. Then she wakes up and it's just noise, noise, noise." She showed Klaus her arm. "She scratched me. Do you believe that?"

"Well then why don't you just let me dress her?" Klaus asked. "It'll go smoother that way."

"No," Selina shook her head. "Remember what Enid said: I should really work on bonding with her so I don't kill her. And if I let you do everything, then that's not going to happen."

"I'm proud of you," Klaus said.

Selina grinned. "Thank you." She wrestled Roxie into anther dress and then picked her up. "You don't have playgroup today, so you get to spend the day with me. We're going to have lots of fun."

Roxie scrunched up her face and started to cry.

Selina sighed. "No appreciation at all." She carried Roxie to the kitchen and sat her down in her high chair. She continued to scream and flail her limbs about. "How do you make her stop?" Selina asked, wincing and putting her hands over her ears.

"It's really not that difficult," Klaus said. "You have to be firm but calm." He picked her up. "Darling, you have to calm down now, please." She stopped crying immediately and snuggled against him. He turned to grin at Selina. "See? It's simple."

"Oh, my god," Selina said. "You aren't compelling her, are you?"

"No," Klaus frowned. "Of course not." He tickled her and she started laughing. "Maybe I should take her to Mother's for the day. Would that be easier on you?"

"No," Selina was resolute. "I'm going to do what Enid said and keep trying even if it _does_ drive me nuts."

"Maybe you should just leave it alone and try again tonight or tomorrow," Klaus suggested. "That might be best."

Selina sighed. "Okay. Go ahead and take her to your mother's. I have a headache anyway."

Klaus nodded and after a few minutes, Selina was left alone again.

* * *

><p>When Klaus got back later that night, he found that Selina was still in bed. "Not feeling like it tonight either?" He asked, running his fingers through her hair.<p>

"No," Selina shook her head. "Not really. But we really _should_ have a date night, you know. Without the kids? Send Roxie to your mother's? I'm sick of being so warn out and tired all the time."

"I agree," Klaus said. "So, how about on Friday, I drop Roxie off at Mother's and then we spend the whole night together, just you and me?"

Even though she was turned away from him, when he began rubbing her neck, she smiled and moaned contentedly. "That sounds nice. Can't wait."

* * *

><p>Selina was home first on Friday because Klaus had to drop Roxie off at Elissavetta's. She'd gotten him a watch just because she felt like it. She placed it on the table in the front hall and went to put on a new dress she'd bought that was a halter in various shades of blue. She did her make up and put up her hair, and when she heard the front door open, she left the bedroom and paused at the top of the stairs, the look on his face making her feel warm inside. Then she began her descent down the stairs, which went well until the heel broke off one of her shoes. She let out a scream as she pitched forward down the staircase. Klaus caught her halfway down. She was sprawled out on her back, with Klaus supporting her so she wasn't touching the stairs. He was leaning over her so that they were looking into each other's eyes.<p>

"Hi," he said. "You certainly know how to make an entrance."

She laughed. "Thank you," she said. "My heel broke."

He kissed her and picked her up, carrying her to the sofa and sitting her down. "Look at the front hall table," she said. "I got you a present."

He went and got it, and then sat next to her on the sofa before opening it. "Wow," he said. "Thank you. That's nice. It's a shame I didn't get you anything."

"Oh, it's okay," she said. "I just thought..."

"No, I'm teasing," he said, pulling off his sport coat and throwing it on the sofa. He pulled a box out of the pocket. Selina opened it and gasped. It was a sapphire pendenton on a gold chain. "Thank you," she said. "It's beautiful." He put it on her and then she leaned against him. "So," she said, "what did you have in mind for tonight?"

"Well," he said, "have you fed yet today? Because I was thinking that a hunt might be nice."

She grinned. "Sounds good to me." They went outside and into the woods where they terrorized and finished off a group of campers. By the time they got back, they were dirty and covered in sweat.

Selina breathed heavily. "Wow, that was intense. I missed that."

He began kissing her neck. "I think a bath is in order," he said. "Would you go fill the bathtub and get undressed? Then wait for me."

"All right," Selina nodded and went to the bathroom. She turned the faucet on and got out of her dress, but she kept her underwear on. He liked to take that off. When the tub was full, she shut the faucet off, she sat on the edge of the tub and waited.

He came back a few minutes after that and they finished undressing each other and got in the tub together, washing each other off thoroughly. When they were clean, they got in bed and massaged each other, then spent the rest of the night under the covers.

* * *

><p>While his parents were having a good evening, Adrian was not. He and Helene had kissed and ever since then, things between them had changed. Instead of acting like a girl their age, Helene was now acting just like his mother every time she saw him. He remembered when he'd gotten the winter clothes from his mother but refused to wear the hat and the gloves, she'd magicked them on him and done it each time he'd taken them off. When he'd asked her why, she'd said it was because she cared. Just that same sort of thing for months.<p>

Adrian frowned. He hadn't meant to kiss her. It'd been an impulsive thing. And it had been nice. He thought she'd liked it too. She hadn't pulled away. She'd kissed him back. He shook his head. He had to get to the bottom of this. He'd been sitting on the front steps of Alistair's house, but now he went inside and went up to Helene's room, knocking twice and then waiting until she let him in. He made sure to keep the door open once he crossed the threshold.

"What do you want?" She asked.

"I need you to tell me something," he said. "What's going on with us?"

"What do you mean?" She asked. "Nothing's changed."

"Yes it has," he said insistently. "We kissed and ever since then, you've been acting like my mother. I didn't mean to do it if that's it. It was just an impulsive thing and I'm sorry, but in my defense, if you hated it, you shouldn't have kissed me back."

Helene sighed. "I didn't hate it. It was nice. I was just a little surprised, that's all. And we're a little young. If we were a little older, I'd be more than happy to pursue it. Could you give me a couple of years?"

"Sure," he said. He held out his pinky. "Promise?"

She gigged and hooked her pinky around his. "I promise."

* * *

><p>Three years later, it was a week after Adrian's birthday. Helene held his present in her hand while she waited on the curb in front of her house for Selina to come and pick her up. Suddenly, a car she'd never seen before drove right up beside her. It was a black convertible BMW and Adrian was at the wheel. "Hey," he said, giving her a grin. "How are you doing?"<p>

"Oh, my god," she said, running her hand over the side door. "Where did you get this?"

Adrian took off the sunglasses he was wearing. "Mom and Dad got it for me for my birthday."

Helene looked up at him. "You're kidding."

He grinned. "Nope." He stroked the red-leathered covered steering wheel lovingly. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Helene nodded. "Yeah."

He leaned over and opened the passenger seat door. "Come sit next to me."

Helene took a deep breath. She had her dark hair pulled back in a bun and was wearing a white buttondown blouse and a navy blue A-line skirt, which she was careful not to wrinkle as she sat down. "Here," she said, handing him a box. "I got this for you. I just forgot to give it to you when it was actually your birthday."

He grinned. "Thanks. But you didn't have to get me anything."

She shook her head. "It's just a little thing. Nothing too fancy." He opened the box and pulled out a keychain that had the Superman logo on it. He grinned. "Thank you."

She blushed a little. "You're welcome. I just thought it fit."

He stuck it in the belt loop of his jeans and then started the car. "Actually, I wanted something else from you too."

"What?" She asked nervously.

"I want you to do something fun," he said. "Take a chance."

"Like how?" She asked curiously.

They drove a ways before Helene noticed something curious. "You're going the wrong way," she said. "This isn't the way to school."

"Yeah," he nodded. "I know that. I wasn't planning on going to school." Then, he pulled off on the side of the road. "Take the wheel," he said.

"What?" Helene asked. "You want me to drive this thing?"

"Yes," he said. "You know how to drive."

"Yes," She nodded. "But I just...I don't think I can. No, take the wheel and let's go to school."

"Come on," he said. "You're just scared because you haven't had a good driving experience yet. But you can have the best time in a car. Really. Just relax and listen to the engine."

She whimpered nervously, eyeing the wheel as if it were a wild animal that was going to bite her.

"Come on," he whispered. "I'll help you. Trust me."

She sighed again. "All right," she said and switched seats with him.

"Put your hands on the wheel," Adrian said. "And turn the key."

The car roared to life and Helene screamed. Adrian put his arms around her waist. "It's okay," he whispered, very close to her ear. "Shhh...it's okay."

Helene nodded. "I knew that. Couldn't you just compel me to relax or something?"

Adrian shook his head. "Nope, sorry. But even if I could, I wouldn't. You'll feel so much more accomplishment if you do this on your own." He moved his hand up and she shivered a little. Cautiously, she put her foot on the gas. When the car started and moved forward, she laughed a little. "Oh, my god. I'm doing it! Look at me, I'm doing it!"

Adrian nodded. "Good job, sweetheart." He reached out and put his hand over hers to help her steer. "Push harder," he whispered. "Push harder."

"Okay," she whispered, feeling very surreal. She put her foot down on the gas and the car shot forward, going faster and faster. "Yes!" she cried. "Yes!"

She felt her hair fall from its bun and she shook it out. She'd never felt so alive. "Where are we going to go?" Adrian whispered, his hands firmly around her waist. "You pick, but don't tell me."

She nodded. There was one place that she'd always wanted to go. And as long as she was taking risks...

She drove and drove until she finally found the right place.

"The planetarium?" Adrian said in surprise.

"Will you trust me?" She asked.

"Yeah," he nodded. "I'm just a little curious, that's all." She led him inside and they took their seats, looking up at the ceiling, covered with "stars." The show started. Adrian felt Helene take his hand. He looked down. Her other hand went under his chin and pushed it up so their eyes met. Then she leaned forward and kissed _him, _her hand roaming over his body. When she finally pulled away, she was grinning and so was he. "Happy birthday, Adrian," she whispered.


	44. The Heat of Passion

Adrian and Helene left the planetarium and were walking home when Adrian asked, "What happened back there? Did you plan that?"

Helene looked at him and laughed. "Of course I did. Well, not the driving lesson part, but the rest of it, yeah."

Adrian nodded. "Huh, I had no idea."

"Really?" Helene put her hair up again. "Remember I told you three years ago that if you gave me a couple of years, we could work things out?"

"Oh?" Adrian asked, sneaking an arm around her shoulders. "Is that what we're doing now?"

She nodded. "Well it's a start, anyway."

She pulled a chocolate out of her purse and handed it to him. "Want this? I have several in my purse that I should probably eat before they melt."

He took it from her and popped it in his mouth. "Thank you."

"You want to know a secret?" She asked. "Dad doesn't know I'm meeting you today."

Adrian's eyes widened. "Really? So let me get this straight: You told your father a fib?"

"I didn't fib," Helene said. "I just withheld information." She paused. "So what do you suggest we say when our parents show up at school and we're not there to be picked up?"

Adrian lifted an eyebrow. "Our parents still want to pick us up from school? But they don't have to do that! I have a car now!"

Helene burst out laughing and took his hand. "Honestly, Adrian. Do you think my father is going to allow you and me to be in a car together when we're supposed to be heading to school? Take today for example. It's what he's always feared."

"Hey," Adrian protested, "You were the one who suggested we sit next to each other in a dark room, not me."

"Oh," she grinned. "Complaining about that already?"

"No," Adrian shook his head. "Of course not. So, the excuse for our parents?"

"Well," Helene thought a moment. "Let's say that we didn't go to school because there's so much learning that can be done outside the classroom. That and it's a beautiful day."

"They aren't going to fall for that." Adrian shook his head.

"What's the worst they could do to us?" Helene asked.

"Well," Adrian thought a moment. "They could make us babysit Roxie."

Helene squeezed her eyes shut. "Oh, god. Now I don't feel so good about this."

"I just don't get why she's so insane," Adrian said. "Compared to her, I'm a saint."

"And she's only three," Helene added. "She's probably only going to get worse."

"Oh, I don't know," Adrian said. "Mom would never let it get _that_ bad."

"But Roxie doesn't like your mother," Helene reminded him. "Even after all these years."

"I don't know why," Adrian shook his head. "Mom's nice. Except for when she's pregnant of course, which she assured me wouldn't happen again for years and years and years anyway."

"That must've been reassuring," Helene grinned. "It probably ended the nightmares for you."

"Yes," Adrian swallowed. "Yes it did." They kept walking, not in the direction of school but a way Helene had never gone before. The area seemed kind of shifty. They stopped in front of a rundown-looking building. "Wait," Helene said. "I've been here before. For your birthday party. Isn't this a werewolf bar?"

"Yeah," Adrian put his hand on the door. "But if you're with me, they'll let you in without trouble. I _was_ born here after all."

They entered the bar and Pete looked up at them. "Aren't the two of you supposed to be in school?"

"We took the day off," Adrian said, sitting on a barstool and motioning for Helene to sit beside him. "For my birthday, you know."

"Oh, yes," Pete nodded. "How did your parents agree to that?"

"Well actually," Adrian said, "they don't know. But we plan to tell them eventually."

"Besides," Helene added, "if you only do it once, is it really wrong?"

"Maybe in your head it's not," Pete said, rinsing out a beer glass and drying it before placing it on the counter. He looked up at Adrian. "This was your idea, wasn't it?"

"Ah, well," Adrian thought a moment. "Kinda, sorta, not entirely."

Pete scoffed. "Why does that not surprise me?"

"She could have done it," Adrian protested, pointing at Helene. "Just because she's a girl doesn't mean she doesn't have evil plots going through her head. I mean, just look at my sister if you want evidence."

"Oh, yes," Pete grinned. "Roxanne. How is she?"

"Psycho," Adrian said immediately. "Completely psycho."

Pete leaned forward on the bar, getting beer on his white polo. "Damn. And this is my only nice shirt."

Helene inspected it. "That's why if you're going for neutral colors, darker is always best. It hides stains while white attracts them."

"I'll make a note of that," Pete said.

"So," Adrian pressed, "Are you going to call our parents on us? Mom's too busy trying to connect with Roxie. She won't have time to come down. And Dad of course, well you know his stance on this type of thing."

"Oh, yes," Pete nodded. "You better believe I do. And about your sister: I'm sure you're exaggerating."

Adrian and Helene looked at one another. If only they were.

* * *

><p>"I'm concerned," Selina said as she and Astrid drove to Roxie's preschool. "I've tried to bond with Roxie for years because, you know, Enid told me to so I wouldn't inadvertantly kill her, but it's just, it's so hard. She hates me."<p>

"I'm sure 'hate' is a strong word," Astrid said. "I mean, do you like your mother?"

"Well, no, not really," Selina admitted. "But I did when I was three years old! Things didn't go downhill with Mama until I was at _least_ a teenager."

"Think about this," Astrid said. "If Enid encouraged you to bond with Roxanne than it _can_ be done, even if it's difficult. Hold on to that."

Selina nodded. "You're right. I will." They reached Roxie's preschool and Selina stopped the car and took a deep breath. "Here we go again." She got out of the car as Roxie's preschool teacher came out with all the kids. They each ran eagerly to their respective parents, except for Roxie, who when she saw it was Selina, narrowed her eyes, ignored Selina's attempted at a hug and stomped to the car. When she saw the door was closed, she turned to her mother. "Open the door," she ordered sharply.

Now I know why so many werewolf mothers kill their daughters, Selina thought. She relaxed her face into a smile and opened the door. "All right, dear," she said. "But next time it would be nicer if you said 'please' first."

Roxie's lip twitched and she climbed into the car without a word. They rode in silence and dropped a worried-looking Astrid off at her house and then arrived at their own house. Roxie ran inside without speaking and headed straight for the living room, where Klaus was watching television.

"Yeah," Selina called after her. "You're welcome for the ride. You just go and do whatever it is you do. Manipulative little bitch." She muttered this last part under her breath. She _really_ needed a drink. She grabbed a bottle of bourbon and began chugging it directly without bothering to put it in a glass. She looked up and saw Roxie staring at her. When Roxie noticed she was looking, Roxie turned back to Klaus. "Mother's drinking again. That's _bad, _isn't it, Daddy?"

"Not necessarily," Klaus said. "But I'll go and ask."

Klaus strode into the kitchen and took the bourbon bottle away from her. "Can I have some?"

"Sure," Selina snatched the bottle back. "If you get your own bottle." She took another swig. "This one's mine."

Klaus looked at Roxie, who was sitting on the sofa with her feet dangling above the floor. "I need to take your mother upstairs. Will you be all right in here?"

"Of course," Roxie said sweetly. As Klaus led Selina to their bedroom, Roxie smiled sweetly and said, "feel better soon, Mother."

* * *

><p>Klaus took Selina into the bedroom and shut the door. "Are you all right?"<p>

Selina burst into tears and began hitting the mattress with her fist. "I don't understand! I've tried, really I have. Enid said I should do my damnedest to bond with Roxie and it hasn't amounted to anything. She's as bad as your mother. What the hell do I have to do to get a little appreciation around here?" She grabbed Klaus by his collar. "You messed her up. You tell me!"

Klaus growled, detached her, and pushed her roughly back on the bed. "Do you know what I do to people who talk to me like that?"

She burst out giggling. "Do you rip off their clothes and cuff them to the bed to make wildly inappropriate love to them?"

Klaus' expression was icy. "Not this time."

"What so mad for?" Selina asked, attempting to sit up and failing. "All I wanna know is how to get along with Roxie. You can help me."

"What's happened to you?" He asked. "I don't know who you are anymore!"

She tried to sit up. "Are you sayin' that I'm too good?"

"Yeah," Klaus nodded. "What's happened?"

"I've always been good," she snuck a couple of fingers under his shirt. "That's why you like me."

He moved her hand. "Let's play a game," he said.

"Oh," she nodded. "I like games. What kind of game? A sexy game?"

He sat down next to her. "Possibly. And it might help you get along with Roxie."

"Wow," Selina lay her head on his shoulder. "That'll be some game! What do I have to do?"

"Remember what things were like when we first met?" He asked.

"Oh," Selina nodded and took off her shirt. "You mean when you forced me to have your hybrid babies?"

"That's a strong way of putting it." Klaus ran his fingers through her hair. "You wanted me."

"No," Selina smiled, unbuttoned his shirt and ran a finger down his chest. "You wanted _me._"

He kissed her. "Well I think that's obvious." He was just about to pull her shirt over her head when there was a sharp knock on the door. They fixed Selina's clothes and then Klaus instructed the person on the other side to come in. Roxie strode into the room. "There's somebody at the door, Daddy. Can I take care of them?"

"Of course, dear," Klaus said. "Go ahead."

Roxie smiled. "All right!" And then she scampered away. A few minutes later, they heard screams and sucking. Selina sighed and leaned her head against Klaus' chest.

"Are you going to take her to Enid's?" Klaus asked. "Have her do a spell to delay transformation like you did with Adrian?"

Selina shook her head. "No. If it's what she wants, then I'll just let it be. Maybe I've been trying too hard and I should just...lighten up a little."

"Exactly," Klaus nodded. "You _have_ been trying too hard. It's kind of pathetic, really."

Selina nodded. "I suppose it is, but I just...I thought it would be easier than this."

Klaus got out of bed and grabbed the knife, putting it close to his chest. "So, how much do you think you're going to take this time?"

Selina shook her head. "No, I'm not taking your blood. We've discussed why several times."

"Give it a chance," he urged as ran the blade along his collarbone, causing blood to well up. He watched her as he climbed into bed and waited, unbuttoning his shirt, pulling it off, and throwing it on the floor. Then he climbed onto the bed, lay on his back and waited, watching her with a smirk on his face. "Come on," he said. "You know you want to."

Hesitantly, she reached a hand out, got some of his blood on her fingers, and then gingerly licked it off. Her eyes widened. She leaned forward and began licking in earnest while he ran his fingers through her hair and over her back. When she pulled back for the first time, her eyes had changed.

"Good?" Klaus asked her.

She nodded. "Oh, yes." She got off the bed, grabbed the cuffs and cuffed him to the bed. Once his chest was clean, she went for his throat. After awhile, he attempted to flip her over so that she would be underneath him, but wasn't quite successful. Instead, she pushed him off the bed and he landed on the floor. He groaned and got up, pushing her against the wall, his hand on her throat. "Do you know what I do to people who do that to me?" He asked angrily.

She looked at him boldly. "Do your worst."

They began to tussle. Suddenly, there was another sharp knock on the bedroom door. It opened a moment later. "Would you two shut up?" Roxie said. "I'm trying to concentrate on my show out here and you're making that very difficult!" Selina looked up at her. Blood was still dripping from her chin. She stood up and advanced toward her daughter. "Don't you think," she asked smoothly, "it's about time you were in bed?"

Roxie put her hands on her hips and pouted. "I don't like going to bed."

Selina grabbed her arm and began dragging her toward her room, ignoring Roxie's squeals of pain. "Well you know what?" she said sharply, "I really don't give a damn."

* * *

><p>A month later, Adrian met Helene at her locker. "Remember," he said, "full moon tomorrow. Will you come and stay with me?"<p>

"Of course," Helene nodded. "Don't I always?"

"Yeah," Adrian nodded. "But I just thought I'd check."

* * *

><p>The next day after lunch, Helene found a flyer taped to her locker. It was for a protest rally that was being held at the local park because they were chopping down a two-hundred and fifty year old tree that had been a staple of the town for years. "I don't believe this," she said, taking it down. "How can they do that?"<p>

"It's cruel, isn't it?" Said Anthony. "I know how fond you are of that tree and I didn't want you to miss the chance to say goodbye."

Helene crumpled the flyer in her hand. "This isn't goodbye," she said. "Anthony, I am _not_ just going to stand idly by while a big corporation cuts down something beautiful that's been a landmark in this town since forever."

"Oh," Anthony looked away. "It's a good thing you don't have anything else to do tonight, then."

"Even if I did, this is _much _more important. Will you come with me?"

"Of course," Anthony said.

* * *

><p>They left for the park just after school let out. Helene forgot to tell Adrian that she was going and he waited for her for awhile before giving up and going home. He arrived and realized that no one else was at the house either. He was all alone. He flipped on the television to the news, where the anchor was talking about a protest to save the old tree in the park. She interviewed one of the protestors. It was Helene. When Adrian saw her, standing next to Anthony who had his arm around her shoulder, he spit out his drink.<p>

"I don't believe this," he whispered. She'd abandoned him to go to some stupid tree protest in the park. He looked at the clock, then out the window. The moon would be coming up any minute. He'd thought of chaining himself up, but now he didn't want to. Now, he wanted to pay a visit to that protest.

Turning was painful as usual, but once he had completed the transformation, he jumped out the window and made his way toward the park. When he got there, he found the protestors immediately. Some were chained to trees, but most, including Helene and Anthony, were marching around the tree holding signs and doing some stupid chant.

He sprang into the crowd, scattering everyone in different directions. He caught several of them and finished them off quickly. Then he saw Helene. He ran toward her. When she saw him, she gasped. "Adrian, oh, my god. I completely forgot, I'm sorry, I..."

He sprang, biting her three times, nowhere fatal though. When she was down on the ground, eyes closed, he ran away and once he turned back, locked himself in his room for the rest of the night.

* * *

><p>The next day, Astrid called Selina to tell her about Helene being in the hospital. "She slept most of the night, but she's awake now. She wants to see Adrian."<p>

Selina nodded. "All right." She found him in his room staring morosely at the wall. "Helene's in the hospital," she began cautiously. "She wants to see you."

Adrian looked up. "I can't. It's my fault."

Selina sighed. "I know. But things happen. It's part of being a werewolf. I'm sure she'll understand."

"Understand that I tried to kill her?" Adrian asked skeptically. "I don't think so, Mom."

Selina pulled him up. "Just go," she snapped. "And buy her some flowers on the way. That's always a good way to apologize." She handed him a wad of bills. "Here's some money."

Adrian left the house and went and got a dozen roses before heading to the hospital. When he found Helene's room, she was asleep. He was relieved. He put the roses on her bedside table and watched her for a moment. She was covered in bandages and her breathing was labored. He kissed her forehead. "I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean it, I swear. I love you."


	45. Love Story

A week later, Klaus, Selina, Helene and Adrian were in the attic so they could get all the junk to throw out.

Adrian held a box labeled "pottery" and came to show it to Selina. "You wanna look in here?" He asked. "Or do you just want to toss the whole thing?"

"You should never 'just toss' anything," Selina said. "You might invertantly toss something important if you do that. Now give me the box and we'll go through it together."

"But I don't even think we _own_ any pottery, at least nothing I haven't broken already," Adrian said. He looked at his father. "Do you think we do?"

Klaus shook his head. "Nah, just throw it out."

Adrian looked triumphantly at his mother. "There you go. See?"

Selina scoffed. "Don't listen to him. If it were up to him, we'd throw _everything_ out."

Adrian frowned. "Fine." He began walking toward Selina with the box when he tripped over a lose floorboard and the box tipped over for a few seconds. A couple of things fell on the floor. One of them was a black and white photograph of a young couple and their infant daughter, who was sitting in the woman's lap. The man wore a soldier's uniform. The woman wore a black dress that contrasted with her blond hair. None of them were smiling. "What's this?" Adrian asked, picking it up. "The woman looks like you, Mom."

"Let me see," Selina took it from him. "Oh, my god. Where did you get this? Was it in that box?"

Adrian nodded. "Yeah."

Selina frowned and punched him on the shoulder as Helene came in with another box of stuff. "I have this all sorted out," she said. "Everything was either broken or cracked. There wasn't anything really worth keeping." She paused as Adrian winced. "What did he do now?"

"See!" Selina cried. "This is why you have to sort things instead of just throwing it all away!" She waved the picture at him.

"Who are those people?" Asked Adrian squatting down next to her. "Relatives of ours or something?"

"Um, yeah." Selina nodded. "Those are my parents. And the baby is me. This was taken when my father got time off for leave when he was fighting in the Mexican-American War."

"Oh, my god," Adrian said. "You have parents? I had no idea!"

Selina sighed and ran her hands over the picture. "I know you're being sarcastic, Adrian. But there's a reason why you never met them."

"Why?" Adrian asked.

"It's a long story," Selina stood up and clutched the photograph to her chest. "Come downstairs to the dining room and I'll tell it to you."

At that moment, the doorbell rang. "And anyone else who comes along." She headed down the stairs and everyone else followed with Helene and Adrian bringing up the rear.

They paused at the top of the stairs and Adrian cleared his throat. "So...how are you?"

Helene nodded. "Better. Much. Thanks for asking." She opened the basement door. Then, she sighed and looked at him. "I know you didn't mean to do what you did, and technically it was my fault for going to the protest rally with Anthony and forgetting all about you. But you know how I am. When I see environmental injustice, I just have to do something about it. But that's no excuse for forgetting about you after I promised I wouldn't. I'm sorry." She looked up at him. "And thanks for the flowers. They were beautiful."

Adrian nodded. "You're welcome. And about that thing that I said..."

She eyed him expectantly. "Yes, that. Would you like me to pretend to have been too drowsy to hear it, or is it okay to acknowledge that it happened?"

"No," Adrian shook his head. "You can acknowledge that it happened."

"Did you mean it?" She asked. "Or was it just one of those impulsive things you said that you're taking back now?"

Adrian shrugged. "Do you want me to take it back?"

Helene thought a moment. "I don't know. It's just kind of strange, you know, hearing it from you. You're like my brother. And besides that, it was the first time anyone's ever, you know, said that to me and I just...I had no idea it would feel so _weird_."

"Weird in a good way?" Adrian asked hesitantly.

"Yes," Helene nodded. "In a good way."

Adrian was about to reply when they heard a noise on the stairwell. "Are you two coming?" Elijah asked, looking up at them.

"Oh, right," Adrian nodded and he and Helene hurried down the stairs. "Big touching family story ahead."

"I found them," Elijah said. "They were dawdling on the attic steps."

"Oh," Selina nodded. "You didn't have to hurry them. It's no rush, really."

"No, Mom. I want to know," Adrian said, sitting down.

"Yeah," Helene added. "We don't know much about you, do we?"

Selina sighed. "Well really, there's not that much to know. Not anything interesting, anyway. Where should I start?"

"I would like to know how exactly you know all the werewolf things that you know," Klaus said.

She looked at him in surprise. "Yeah, but Nicky, you _know_ that."

"Yes," Klaus rolled his eyes. "But _they_ don't." He motioned at everybody else.

"All right," Selina looked at the picture and took a deep breath. "But I can't start there. I'll get there eventually, but everything starts with a house:

_The house was large and white, with green shutters and columns flanking either side of the front door. Above the front doors was the attic window. Instead of shutters, that window was hung with white lace curtains which swayed back and forth, even when there was no breeze. Despite the fact that it had been empty for 145 years, it was in near pristine condition. It was the kind of house that people avoided walking past at night; the kind of house that children dared each other to visit on Halloween. And of course it had a ghost._

_They called her the Lady in Red and she was seen in the attic window. She supposedly was the fiancée of one of the soldiers who had served Mystic Falls during the Civil War. Not much else was known about her except that her initials were S.W.S. She was connected in some way to the doctor who had owned the house. Some people said she was his wife by choice. Others said that she had unwillingly become his lover. The most common version of the story was that she'd gotten engaged to the soldier before he shipped out, and then once he was gone had caught a fever. The doctor told her mother that he might be able to save her, but only if he could take her to his house. He did so and she was cured. She was so grateful to him that when he proposed, heedless of the fact that she was already engaged to the soldier, she and the doctor eloped, and were never seen or heard from again._

_But there was another group who didn't see the Lady in Red as a villain. Instead of running off with the doctor, they believe that after she was cured of her fever, she rejected his proposal. Stung, he raped her, murdered her, and buried her heart somewhere on his property. That's why, they say, she stares out the attic window, and why there are holes in the front yard. She's looking for her heart, so she can be with her soldier as they couldn't be in life. _

_The doctor's dealings with the Lady in Red weren't his only shifty activities. When he first arrived in town, he had a large amount of money. People whispered that he was a doctor by day and a bank robber by night. And that he'd hidden his ill-gotten loot. And to this day, people still come to the house, thinking that they will be the one to find the supposedly lost treasure of Dr. Roger Stensrund, alias Bloody Roger." _

"Wow," Helene said. "Bloody Roger? He didn't really rip out your heart, did he?"

Selina shook her head. "No. It actually refers to the necklace that my first fiance gave me as an engagement present. And when they talked about how I was 'raped,' it's actually code for 'he turned her into a vampire because he was one himself, but we're freaked out by vampires and want to kill them all, so we'll just say she was raped instead'."

"Wait," Helene said. "So this Doctor Stensrund guy was the one who turned you into a vampire?"

Selina nodded. "Yep. And for years I hated him for it. I was _never_ in love with him. The man was old enough to be my grandfather."

"Oh!" Adrian's eyes suddenly up. "I remember you telling me about that guy! He was the privateer, wasn't he? So he really did have a ton of money hidden in his house?"

"Yep," Selina nodded. "Just not from bank robbing. And after I killed him during a full moon, I took all of it."

Elijah's brow was furrowed. "So you were a werewolf at that point already?"

"Nah," Selina shook her head. "But my mother, the person I got my gene from, she had me on Halloween, 1846. That was a full moon, so she was acting all strange and hormonal when I came out, and according to my uncle's notes, that meant I would be a little more...temperamental then usual, even if I never turned." She paused. "My uncle, Mama's older brother, he was the werewolf scholar of the family. When he found out what we could be, he decided that's what he wanted and researched every possible thing that he could research before he changed over. And he kept books and books of notes, all of which I have now." She sighed. "Such a pity. All that research and he was still caught and killed anyway."

"And what happened after that?" asked Adrian.

"Well," Selina put her hands on her knees. "Uncle Jacob's death set a precedence for the family. He died because of his werewolf nature, so my grandfather decreed that neither of his other children, my mother and my Uncle Charlie, would die for the same reason. He put the fear of God into them so they just spent the rest of their lives pretending like they were normal people, lest everyone else figure out the truth and they end up dead like Jacob."

Helene sucked in a breath and grabbed Adrian's hand. "Oh, my God. How horrible!"

Adrian squeezed back. He looked at the picture on the table. "So I assume that your mother made a nice, normal marriage to a nice, normal guy, right?"

Selina smiled mysteriously. "Yep. Daddy was as normal as could be...for awhile, anyway." Everyone was watching her with bated breath and she was rather enjoying herself. "When I was two months old, he decided that he needed to go fight Mexico. He figured that if he didn't make the decision on his own, then his father would make it for him. He packed his things just after Christmas the year I was born, and then he went on his way. Eventually, typhoid swept through his regiment and he fell victim to it. Most of the medical care was terrible in those days, so if you were sent to a hospital, you were there to die, not to get well. But Daddy got lucky. The doctor and his daughter, who was a nurse, took a liking to my father. The doctor saw him as the son he never had, and the daughter, well, she saw him as a potential love interest."

"How could she do that?" Helene exclaimed. "Your father was _dying_!"

"Yes...but she told me that he was attractive even then," Selina smirked. "Good thing my mother wasn't there to hear her."

"When did she tell you this?" Helene asked.

"Oh," Selina shrugged. "I don't know...twenty years ago or thereabouts."

"Wait..." Helene said, "Was Lucy a...vampire?"

"Yep," Selina nodded. "She turned my father to save him. But she didn't tell Doctor Stensrund what she did until _after_ they'd put my father in the ground. Then the two of them, plus another man had to go and dig him up. That must have been awkward. And the cemetery caretaker sounded crazy when my mother showed up with me to honor my father's memory on my first birthday and he told her that Daddy's body wasn't in his grave." Selina paused. "Mama became convinced that he'd been taken by body snatchers. But she found out the truth, eventually. It was right after I turned. Mama had just completely given up on everything. She was alone. My stepfather had been killed four years before...four years too late in my opinion. So my father was dead, I was dead, Mama felt that she was all alone. And then one day, my father came back for her. When she saw him, she thought she was hallucinating of course. She thought he was an angel coming from heaven to help end her torment. She had no idea that he was a vampire. The only ones who knew that were Lucy, Doctor Stensrund, and in a sense, me. Although Daddy would wipe my memory of his visits so I wouldn't tell Mama. Anyway, when Daddy came back, Mama was drinking of course...not dressed. She'd become a hermit in her house. But Daddy saw past all that. He changed her and they ran off together. But she didn't tell anyone. She told my father that she wanted it to seem like she'd just died, so he shot her with his dueling pistol and then they kidnapped a homeless woman and Mama fed off her to complete her transformation. Then, they buried the body up in the hills along with Daddy's pistol and Mama's engagement ring and necklace so that if the body was ever found, it would seem to be hers, and nobody need ever know that she ran off with a vampire. and became one herself. At that time, it was considered shameful and the vampires in our town were being hunted down in droves and then later killed or starved out."

"Why didn't your parents look for you and take you with them?" Adrian asked.

"Because they had no idea what had happened to me. All Mama knew was that I was dead. I'm sure that if they'd known what was really going on, they _would_ have come back for me, instead of letting me rot in Doctor Stensrund's house all that time." She sighed. "But I guess I don't blame them. They were happy. Still are."

"And of course," Klaus broke in, "the werewolf issue is still a sore spot with your mother."

"Yep," Selina nodded and pushed her hair out of her eyes. "But with good reason. Roxie's made me see that. I could have ended up like her, you know."

Adrian laughed incredulously.

"No, really!" Selina exclaimed. "When I was five, I was visiting my mother's parents' house and playing with their dog. We were running around in the yard at night and the overseer was drunk. He thought I was one of the little slave girl so he picked me up, handled me a little too roughly, and I hurt him for it. If he hadn't gotten to the main house when he did, he probably would have been killed and then guess what would have happened to me." She laughed humorlessly. "After Mama found out about it from my cousin Michael, she kept an extra close watch on me, and so did he as the years went by. Michael took it upon himself to make sure I didn't hurt myself or anybody else, and even suggested that we marry at one point so I didn't taint any outsiders." She shuddered. "I am _so_ glad that didn't happen. Anyway, that's the story of my parents and me, and...well, not all of it. There's still the bit about how I had a baby before I turned and just after I killed Doctor Stensrund I married your Uncle Aleksandr, but you don't wanna hear all that, so we'll just end it here. And anyway," she looked at the clock. "I have to screw my courage to the sticking place and go pick up your sister." She looked at Klaus. "It's about time now, right?"

"Yes," he nodded and stood up. "Now, are yo sure you don't want me to do this?"

"Yes," Selina nodded. "I have to keep trying."

"All right," Klaus eyed her skeptically. "Whatever you say."

* * *

><p>When Selina went to Elissavetta's to pick Roxie up, Roxie was disappointed to see her as usual. "Why couldn't Daddy have picked me up?" She whined. "I don't like you!"<p>

Selina pushed her against the car and got down so they were looking into each other's eyes. "I don't really like you either, but I am your mother so you're just going to have to deal with it, got me? Now you just get in the front seat and don't say another damn word!"

She was about to get in the car herself when Elissavetta called her back in to ask her about something. She went, leaving Roxie behind. When she returned, the car looked like it had been through hell: there were scratches and dents on it, the side mirror was hanging off, and the windshield was cracked. "What the hell happened to my car?" Selina asked. She glared through the window at Roxie and motioned for her to put it down. "Did you do this?" She snapped.

"No," Roxie shook her head. "I've been sitting in here the whole time, just like you asked, Mother."

Selina knew she was lying but was too tired to fight her for the moment. She just got in the car and drove toward the house. Roxie was silent in the beginning, but then she said, "Can we get ice cream?"

Selina gripped the wheel and shook her head. "No. Little girls who misbehave and destroy Mommy's car don't get ice cream."

Roxie turned toward her. "But I want ice cream!"

Selina shook her head again. "No," she said firmly. "If you say one more thing about ice cream, I'm going to tie you to the roof of the car. Learn to live with disappointment. It's a fact of life."

Roxie shook her head vigorously. "No it isn't. Daddy says I can have whatever I want and I...WANT...ICE CREAM!"

Her voice rose to a feverish pitch. Selina put on the brakes hard and that made Roxie's head hit against the dashboard. She was dazed when Selina grabbed her by the collar of her dress. "Remember what Mommy said she'd do to you if you talked about ice cream again?" Selina's eyes were wide and she looked unstable.

Roxie burst into tears, a large goose egg forming on her forehead. Selina paid her no mind, but got out and into the trunk, pulling out the rope. She hauled out a still-sobbinh Roxie and tied her to the top of the car, ignoring her daughter's pleas as she started the car again and giggling when it started to rain. That would show her. When they reached the house, Selina took Roxie off the car, untied her, and after giving her a hard spanking, let her go into the house.

Feeling very weary, Selina hunched over and slogged into the house, hiding out in the library while waiting for the inevitable axe to fall. A few minutes later, Klaus pushed the library door open and strode in, dragging a damp and puffy-eyed Roxie behind him. "What did you do to her?" He demanded. "She's soaked...and look at her face!"

Selina shut her book, put it down beside her, and looked at him calmly. "Look at my car," she said. "And nothing happened that couldn't have been avoided, right Roxie?"

Roxie ignored her and looked at her father appealingly. "She tied me to the roof of the car, Daddy...then it started raining and that's why I'm all wet. And she hit the brakes really hard and I hit my head and it hu-u-urts!" She burst into tears again and threw herself into Klaus' arms. Selina rolled her eyes. "She was nagging about ice cream. I told her to stop. Being put on the car was the consequence for not listening to me. And if you _look_ at my car, you will see that it's far from being in the same condition that it was in when I left here today, and she's the only one who could have caused the damage."

Klaus frowned and picked Roxie up. She lay her head against his shoulder. "This could have _all _been avoided if you would have just let me pick her up," he hissed. "I hope you're proud of yourself." Then he turned on his heel and strode out of the library. As soon as the door slammd shut, Selina sighed and rolled her eyes, ran her fingers through her hair, then lay back on the couch to savor the silence and read her book.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Helene and Adrian were also sitting in silence in the backseat of his car. But they weren't enjoying it. "We have to talk about this," he said.<p>

"Okay," Helene said. "I'm sorry I forgot to meet you at the last full moon. I at least owe you that much. As for what you said...well, I don't know. What do you want me to say?"

"Ideally, it would be nice if you said it back," Adrian told her. "Unless...you don't feel that way. In which case you can forget I ever said anything..."

"No!" Helene shook her head. "It's not that. It's just that no one has ever told me that they loved me before. It's a little...I mean, you read novels and you _think_ you know what it's going to be like when somebody tells you they love you, and that it'll be obvious what to say in response when it happens, but I...I don't know if I can say what you want me to say." Adrian opened his mouth and she hastened to say "Not because I don't feel the same way. I do, it's just that-"

She was cut off as Adrian took her in his arms and kissed her. She put her arms around him and kissed him back. When they pulled apart again, he said, "That wasn't so hard, was it?"

She burst into tears. "What did you have to go and do that for?" She said. "That was the worst thing you could have done!" She sniffled and wiped her eyes.

"I'm sorry!" He said. He was in shock. "What's wrong?"

"I can't _be_ in a relationship with you, even though I really want to. I can't be your girlfriend and cheer you on at football, and go to the prom with you." He handed her a tissue and she blew her nose.

"Why not?" Adrian asked. "Just tell me. Whatever is wrong we can fix it."

Helene looked at him with wet eyes. "Mom had a vision last night. She told me that if I go to the prom with you, then I'm going to die."


	46. An Offer She Might Not Refuse

Adrian froze. "What do you mean you're going to die?"

Helene shrugged. "Just that. I'm going to die if I go to prom with you."

Adrian scoffed. "That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard." He paused. "What if your mother is making it up?"

Helene frowned. "Adrian, why would my mother make up a vision about me dying on prom night?"

"I don't know!" Adrian exclaimed. "Maybe your father told her to. Maybe your parents want to keep us apart because they suspect something is going on!"

"Ah," Helene nodded. "So you think that my parents are plotting against us."

"Yeah," Adrian said. "That's what I think."

"Please," Helene said. "That sounds like something out of a cheesy romance novel. My parents would never do that."

"How do you know?" Adrian asked. "You know your father isn't exactly trusting of me when it comes to you."

"Yeah, well..." Helene shifted uncomfortably. "He has his reasons."

Adrian's eyes widened. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Helene sighed. "Nothing. It's just that he was around your parents for years before you were even born. He knows them well. And he thinks you're a lot like your father, so..." She trailed off.

"So he thinks I'm going to hurt you? Is that it?" Adrian was getting really worked up now. "Well you can just tell him that I would never..."

"I know," Helene said quickly. "And I will. Just...give it time, all right?"

"Why?" Adrian asked. "Are you scared of him?"

"No!" Helene shook her head. "Of course not!"

"Then tell him," Adrian said. Then, he opened the car door and stepped out, yanking her out after him.

Helene struggled to keep up with his long strides. When he reached the front door, he did a strange knock: twice on the upper half of the door, twice on the lower half, and one hard hit in the middle. A little while later, Roxie opened the door and grinned at them. "Hi," she said. "Thank you for doing the knock. I didn't want to have to attack you."

"You're welcome," Adrian said. "Where are Mom and Dad?"

Roxie shrugged. "I dunno."

"Well all right then," Adrian took a purple foil-wrapped chocolate out of his pocket. "Here," he said, handing it to her. "Why don't you go watch cartoons while you eat this?"

Roxie grinned. "Okay! Thank you, Adrian!" Then she scampered away.

Once she was gone, Adrian took a deep breath and turned back to Helene. "So when are you going to tell him?" He asked.

"I _will_," she said. "But it'll probably take more than that. I mean, my parents want me to be as normal as possible: you know, go to college, get a good job, get married, have kids. They don't want me to get in anything shady."

Adrian shut his eyes and tried to control his breathing. "But didn't you learn _anything_ from my mother's story?" He asked incredulously when he finally was calm enough to look her in the eyes again. "Her family tried to be normal when they weren't and it just didn't work out!"

"Well, it's easier to hide when you're a witch," Helene said. "I could quit using my powers if I wanted to."

"Who's side are you on, anyway?" Adrian asked. "His or mine?"

"I don't want to take sides, Adrian." Helene said severely. "Don't make me."

"Why would I?" Adrian asked. "It's clear what you want to do anyway!"

He began to stomp away when she said "Wait."

He turned. "Make it quick. I don't have much patience left."

Helene strode up to him until they were practically nose to nose. "Do you want to hurt me? Would that make you feel better?" She spread her arms out. "Go ahead. I don't care. You probably deserve a few shots anyway."

He kept his eyes on her and took her wrists. "I don't want to hurt you," he said. "That's the last thing that would make me feel better. Even now."

"Then what do you want from me?" Helene asked quietly.

He put his hands on her shoulders so she couldn't move away. "I want you to tell me you love me," he said. "If you can. If you can't, then I'll let this go, but if you can, I want to hear it."

She swallowed. "I-I love you, Adrian. You know I do. It's just that...I-"

"What?" He shook her a little.

Suddenly, her expression darkened. "Don't you dare," she said. She began muttering under her breath and Adrian began to feel as if his whole body had been set on fire. He let Helene go and was soon rolling around on the floor, and screaming.

This got Roxie's attention and she strode into the entryway. "What's going _on_?" She said. She looked down at Adrian who was twitching now, tears rolling down his cheeks. "What did you do?" She asked. "He's hurt!"

"Go watch television, Roxie," Helene said. "You don't have to be here."

Instead of doing as Helene asked, Roxie slowly backed away, and then ran at Helene. "You hurt my brother!" She cried. She threw herself at Helene.

* * *

><p>Telling everyone the story of her life had made Selina want to to look over her uncle's notes again. She'd dragged them out from under the bed as soon as she'd finished the story. Maybe they would tell her what was going on with Roxie. Maybe there was more than just the inherent mistrust between mother-daughter werewolves. She took out each book and found nothing. But in the last one, she found what she needed. She peered at the notes she'd spent hours retyping so that they were actually legible.<p>

"Various Manifestations of Lycanthropy Based on Sex, Heredity, and Activation". This sounds promising." She turned to the page and began looking it over. Things were more complex than she'd thought. On that page was a chart in three rows: the first was labeled 'sex' and had 'male' and 'female' in the column. The second row read 'Heredity' with 'pure' and 'impure' in the column, and the final row had 'active' and ' inactive' in the column. Underneath the columns were different combinations of werewolf, she supposed.

The combinations that had 'inactive' in them were fairly self explanatory. Males with inactive genes could still show temper, as could females, but they weren't deadly. At least not compared to what was going on in the 'active' section.

She found _her_ category, disregarding vampire part of herself: an unpure female with an active gene. Apparently, unpure just meant that only one of her parents had given her the werewolf gene, not that there was something wrong with her. Her sort were possive, like Enid had told her, but they had the ability to stop themselves from killing and get their jealousy under control if they chose to. Same with males, who were more _likely_ to kill when angered, but it wasn't a guarantee because of their ability to reason if they put effort into it.

She paused. Using the chart's logic, Adrian and Roxie were what it called 'pure werewolves' in a sense, because they were born of parents who each had the gene.

Under Roxie's category, pure female, active gene, she read: "Pure female werewolves with active genes are very fickle. They are even _more_ possessive than their impure counterparts, and are unable to get past any feeling of jealousy that occur about their mates. And it always leads to death of the other woman, the mate himself, or any female children born to each pair. It was this penchant for jealousy that led most male werewolves to seek out human mates and females to take on multiple partners in one lifespan. In some instances, if the female pure werewolf gives birth to another female baby, she will kill her mate, but more often, the child is killed instead so that the mother doesn't have competition for her mate's attention. Thus there is a dangerous imbalance between pure male and female werewolves, making mating with humans a necessity."

She breathed in sharply. "Oh, my god," she whispered. "It's only going to get worse for her."

Klaus came in a short while later, sneaking up behind her and kissing her neck. She looked up at him. "Hi, Nicky," she said wearily.

"What's wrong with you?" He asked. He motioned at her. "Stand up."

Selina stood up with the chart and other papers under her arm. "Why?"

"Because," he said. He took her spot on the chair and sat her down on his lap. "What's the matter?" He ran his hand under her skirt and over her thigh.

She showed him the chart. "According to this chart my uncle made up, Roxie's going to be a psycho if we don't do anything. She's not going to have the capacity to form real relationships or be loved. She'll just hop aimlessly from one man to the next, leaving a trail of bodies in her wake."

"And you think that's wrong?" Klaus asked.

Selina nodded. "Well yes, of course!"

He took the chart from her. She explained it to him and he read Roxie's type. "You obviously forgot a part," he said. "It says that pure female werewolves will form relationships with a few people, usually males, they feel deserve their loyalty. That could be a starting point for her so she won't be entirely alone."

Selina sighed. "But that's still not enough! What if..."

It was then that they heard the crashing. "Oh, my god," Selina stood up. "What the hell was that?"

"I don't know," Klaus said. "Maybe we should go see."

They went downstairs and found Adrian pale and panting next to a goat that was standing near the front door. Helene stood off to the side, her eyes closed.

"Why is there a goat in our house?" Selina asked.

"It's not a goat," Adrian said. "It's Roxie."

"What?" Selina asked. "Why? How?"

Helene opened her eyes. "I did it," she said. "Roxie tried to attack me, and I wasn't expecting it, so I just..." she flailed her arms around a bit. "It was an accident, I swear!"

Selina nodded. "We understand. It's okay. It's what she gets for trying to hurt you."

"So you'll turn her back now, right?" Klaus asked.

"Of course," Helene said. She looked shaken.

"Wait," Selina put a hand on her arm. "Don't do that so quickly. You could probably wait a couple of days without it hurting anything."

"Mom!" Adrian said in surprise.

"Selina," Klaus said warningly.

"What, Nicky?" She asked. "Do you have a problem with Roxie learning a much needed lesson?" She turned to Helene and gave her a hug. "I should have asked you to turn Roxie into a goat weeks ago!"

"It's all right," Helene said confusedly. This wasn't the reaction she'd expected. Then Selina cleared her throat. "So the two of you are all right then?"

Helene and Adrian nodded.

"All right," Selina nodded. "Adrian, would you tie your sister up outside?"

"Okay," he said, watching Roxie the goat nervously.

"I'll come with you," Helene said.

Once they were gone, Selina looked up at Klaus and smiled. "Well, now that things are better, would you want to..."

"No," Klaus shook his head. "I don't think I want to talk to you right now. I'm going out."

Selina rolled her eyes. "Is this because I'm keeping Roxie a goat?"

"Yes," Klaus nodded.

"She's nice to you, so you have no idea what she's capable of," Selina said as he made his way out the door. She turned away from it once it slammed, seething. What was his problem, really? Couldn't he see how evil Roxie really was already and that it was in her best interest to stay a goat for a couple of days? She growled.

She went back to her room and transformed. She needed to get out. She left the house and did away with two people waiting in line for the city bus, and was then distracted by the neon lights of the local mini mart. She transformed back and then strolled inside. It was full of people. Perfect. She picked up three jars of peanut butter and then walked around. She found a guy looking at bread and said to him, "Which one of these peanut butters do you think is best?" She showed him each jar.

"Oh," he said. He was plump with stringy brown hair and a ruddy face. "I'm allergic to peanuts, so I wouldn't know. I'm sorry." As he wheeled his cart away, she grabbed his arm. "How about you try them out for me right now?" She asked, locking eyes with him. He nodded and unscrewed the lid off the first jar of peanut butter and put some on his finger and then licked it off. Almost instantaneously, his face began to swell and he began gasping. He fell to the floor and began rolling around yelling out for air. Selina put more peanut butter on his face and then walked away.

She walked into the frozen food section and found an attractive guy with curly brown hair and twinkly blue eyes stocking shelves. She looked him over, figuring that he was really built underneath his clothes. She compelled him to remove them and when she'd eyed him long enough and run her hands all over his body, told him to go shut himself in the freezer.

Then, she thought about dinner. She picked out some steaks and a bottle of Chateauneuf du-Pape as a way to tell Nicky she was sorry, and made her way back home.

* * *

><p>"I got Roxie all tied up," Adrian said as soon as she stepped inside.<p>

She nodded. "Good. Has your father come out?"

Adrian shook his head. "Nope, stil in your room with the door closed."

She nodded and went to their room.

"Hey," she said. Klaus looked up at her. "Oh, it's you," he said, looking at her with distaste.

She held up the bottle. "I brought wine."

He sat up. "Why?"

"What do you mean 'why'?" She asked, putting the bottle down. "I thought we could have an evening, you know?" She began taking off her clothes. "Stop that," Klaus snapped.

She turned to face him. "Don't be such a child. I'm going to turn Roxie back eventually. Just not now. Give it three days."

He frowned. "Have you lost your mind? That's our daughter out there!"

"I know," Selina said. "But you're always saying the kids should get in touch with nature. How is this different?"

"It just is." Klaus snapped.

Selina rolled her eyes and went into the bathroom to undress. When she came back into the room and tucked herself in, he got out. "I'm going to go sleep on the sofa," he said.

"Why?" She asked. "You don't have to. You could stay here with me." He started to pull away, but then hesitated as she began running her hands over his length. He moaned and lay back on the bed. She kissed him. When she pulled away, he muttered, "I hate you," before flipping her over and thrusting into her, her laughter ringing in his ears.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Selina woke up before Klaus did, starting when she saw somebody sitting on the window seat. "What do you want?" She whispered.<p>

Vanessa pushed her red hair out of her eyes and grinned. "Heard you've been having some trouble with your daughter. Would you like my help?"


	47. To the Moon and Back

Selina frowned at her. "Of course I wouldn't. I'm not that desperate, thank you."

Vanessa grinned. "Are you certain?"

"Well yes," Selina nodded. "Now it's not too difficult, seeing as she got on the wrong side of a witch and is now a goat tied to a post in the front yard."

Vanessa turned to look. "I thought that was a bit strange." She turned back and shrugged. "Oh, well. I just know you're going to need my help eventually. I'll be waiting."

Selina shook her head. "No thank you. I'll find another way."

Vanessa smiled bitterly. "Fine." She turned to jump out the window. "Good day."

Selina frowned. "Yeah, sure. Whatever."

Once she was gone, Klaus stirred. "Who was that?" He asked sleepily.

Selina ran her fingers through his hair. "Nobody," she said. "It was nobody."

* * *

><p>Adrian was confused. Helene seemed to be avoiding him and he had no idea why. Every time he saw her and tried to get her attention, she would walk away and act as if she hadn't seen him. When it had happened at lunch, Anthony had been with her. He'd seen Adrian and given him the most awful smirk before kissing Helene's hair.<p>

Adrian frowned, the memory of it making him growl in frustration. He punched the water fountain, which caused it to leak onto the floor and form a puddle. His Literature teacher was walking by just as he did it, and ordered him to the guidance counselor's office. Like usual.

"What if I don't want to go?" He asked.

"That doesn't matter," Mr. Hallorahan cleared his throat. He was a tall, pale, skinny man with dark, thinning hair who was probably about ninety-five pounds soaking wet. "We have rules about vandalizing school property. Do you realize how long it's going to take the janitor to mop up that puddle?"

"So?" Adrian narrowed his eyes. "Isn't that his _job_?"

"Well, yes, but..." Mr. Hallorahan paused and glared at him. "I don't have to explain myself to you. Go see the guidance counselor. Now!"

Adrian considered knocking the man unconscious or compelling him to let him go, but he was just too warn out to do either of those things. He sighed and followed Mr. Hallorahan to the guidance counselor's office.

The guidance counselor was _not _surprised to see him. She was almost blase as she greeted him. "Hello, Adrian. Time for our weekly meeting, I see."

Adrian nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

"What happened today?" Instead of scolding him, Miss LeBec leaned forward, pushing some of her short dark hair out of her eyes and looked at him with concern. "You can tell me anything, you know that."

"Well," Adrian began, and then backpedaled. "No, you're going to think it's stupid." Sometimes he was afraid to talk to her because she reminded him of his mother.

"No, I won't!" Miss LeBec's blue eyes widened. "If it's troubling you, than it's not stupid."

Adrian sighed. "Well, I just found out that a girl I like is going to die soon."

"Really?" She asked. "Is she ill?"

"No," Adrian shook his head. "It's not that. It's just..." He looked at her seriously. "Miss LeBec, do you believe in psychics or astrology or anything like that?"

Miss LeBec nodded. "I suppose. I like to keep an open mind." She took off her gray suit jacket. "Why?"

"Because the girl I like, her mother is a psychic and yesterday, her mother told her that if she goes to prom with me, she's going to die."

"Well that's unsual," Miss LeBec said. "And the girl you like, does she believe her mother?"

"Yes," Adrian nodded. "Should I go with her belief and try to do all I can before she dies, or should I try and convince her that she isn't going to die? And she's with this guy Anthony who's a real loser and..."

"Helene!" Miss LeBec said. "Helene Fale. Is she the girl?"

"Yes," Adrian nodded and then sighed. "That's her."

Miss LeBec looked at him sympathetically. "I know it's frustrating when you like somebody and you can't get their attention, but it'll happen if you're persistant. Women like men of action. You can't just sit idly by if you like her as much as you say."

Adrian looked up at her, surprised. Sometimes during their meetings, she lost her air of neutrality and told him something he could actually use. "You sound like my father."

"I do?" asked Miss LeBec in surprise. "Is that a good thing?"

Adrian grinned. "Yeah, it is."

"Well," Miss LeBec stood up. "You seem in a better mood, so I think I'll let you go for today. Just what did you do that got you sent in here anyway?"

Adrian shrugged. "Punched a water fountain. Giant puddle, that sort of thing."

"Ah," Miss LeBec nodded. "That explains the damp footprints all over my office."

"Oh," Adrian looked down. "Sorry about that."

* * *

><p>He left Miss LeBec's office grinning and with a jaunty spring in his step. He felt much better now. On his way to his locker, he found Helene digging around in hers. Happily, Anthony was nowhere in sight. "Hey," Adrian said, looking down at her. "What are you looking for?"<p>

"My French book," Helene said. "I don't know where I put it. I really need to sort this out." She began throwing books and notebooks on the floor behind her.

"Hey!" Adrian moved aside just in time to avoid being hit by a flying stapler. "I have an idea," he said, getting close to her ear. "If you can't find your book, why don't you skip with me?"

"What?" Helene stopped throwing stuff and got up to look at him. "What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean," he said. "What's the point in going to class if you can't find your book?"

"Oh," Helene said, "I know it's in here somewhere. Probably just at the bottom of the pile and-"

He took her wrist firmly but lightly and pulled her back up again. "Come with me," he said.

Helene backed away, shaking her head. "No, it's all right," she said. She was breathing hard. "I can just share a book with somebody. It would probably be best if I..."

She trailed off as he slammed her locker and pushed her against it, kissing her hard. She kissed him back. They were running their hands haphazardly over each other's bodies. When they were finished, he pushed her away but still kept a grip on her waist. Her gray skirt and white shirt were wrinkled and several buttons were undone. They were staring at each other and breathing hard. Helene's eyes were wide with shock. She was silent for several minutes before she was finally able to get out, "if I swoon, will you catch me?"

He grinned. "Gladly."

She proceeded to do so, but she didn't close her eyes. Instead, she grinned, leaned up, and kissed him again.

"So," he whispered, nibbling on her ear. "Will you come with me?" He put her down.

She leaned in so their lips were almost touching. "You're so mean to me, you know that?"

"Why?" He asked.

She turned away and held her hand out. He took it and she led him away from the lockers. "Because," she said. "I'm going to be dead in two years and here you are making me like you..."

He raised an eyebrow. "Really? You like me? I had no idea."

She grinned and socked him in the arm. "Of course I do!"

"What about Anthony?"

"Oh," Helene said dismissively, "He had to go home. He...came down with something."

"What sort of something?" Adrian asked, grinning.

"Well," Helene said, "I'm not proud of it, but what he's got isn't in any standard medical books, that's for sure."

He grinned wickedly. "It's so hot when you use your powers for evil."

He pulled her into an empty classroom and by the time the bell rang to signal the beginning of class, they were in the process of undressing each other. Helene looked up at the clock on the wall. "Well I guess that means I'm late." She smiled saucily and began buttoning up her shirt again, even though they hadn't done anything yet. Adrian let her reach the door and then he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back against himself. He wasn't wearing a shirt. "Oh, no," he said. "You're not allowed to leave now."

She trailed a few kisses down his chest and then looked up at him. "I have an idea," she said. "Close your eyes."

He grinned. "Okay."

She led him out of the classroom and down a deserted hallway. He heard the turning of a key. Felt tarp under his bare feet. "Open your eyes," she whispered.

He opened his eyes and looked all around. It was dark and he saw stars. "Oh, my god," he whispered. "What _is_ this place?"

Helene took a deep breath. "It's where we do labs for astronomy," she said. "We're not actually outside. The room is made up to simluate the night sky. I thought that since our first kiss was at the planetarium..." she flipped a switch and twinkling lights resembling stars and constellations began to go around the room. It was like being in a disco, but more romantic.

Then, she got down on her knees and crawled back to him. "Well?"

He lay her down on her back and unbuttoned her shirt and skirt, throwing them aside before kissing down her stomach and making her giggle. She kissed him back just as fiercely, and soon they were rolling around on the floor, clutching each other tight. And as he pushed into her for the first time, Helene not only saw stars, she saw fireworks.

"Oh, my god," she whispered when she found herself looking in Adrian's eyes again. "Good?" He asked. He began kissing her fingers.

"Yes," she whispered, pulling herself up to kiss his neck. "Adrian," she asked, "Are we as bad as your parents now?"

He burst out laughing."Not yet. But we_ could_ be. If you want."

She lay back on the floor. He straddled her and she looked up at him eagerly. "I do want."

He grinned and ran his fingers lightly over her cheek. "I think I've ruined you."

"No," she shook her head. "You could never ruin me."

Suddenly, in the dim light, something caught Adrian's eye. A tiny stream of blood was flowing down Helene's neck. He began to feel strange. Then he remembered he hadn't fed yet.

"I need something," he said. "Something I can't ask you for. We have to stop."

"Why?" She asked. "What is it? What do you need?"

"I haven't fed today and your neck is bleeding."

"Oh," Helene said easily and smeared some blood onto her finger. "You can take mine. I don't mind."

He looked at it, tried his best to resist, but he couldn't. He licked it off her finger and then bit into her throat. And he didn't do it gently. By the time he'd regained control of himself, she was pale. Her eyes were nearly closed.

"Oh, my god," he whispered, getting off her and dressing. "What did I do?" He dressed her and took her to the nurse, trying to think of a reasonable explanation for her appearance on the way.

* * *

><p>"Well, well, well. Look who it is." Klaus looked up and narrowed his eyes. "What do you want?"<p>

Vanessa sat down across from him and grinned. "Nothing," she said. "Can't an old friend just stop by and say hi? I had a chat with your wife this morning, but I didn't get to talk to _you_. You were still asleep. Speaking of your wife, how is that going, by the way? Everything going well between you two?"

"Of course," Klaus nodded. "Why wouldn't it?"

"Well," Vanessa steepled her fingers and eyed him speculatively. "It's been what, sixteen years and odd since you two kids got together?"

He nodded, but didn't look up at her.

"Well, isn't that quaint?" She mused. "Just long enough for the two of you two get _comfortable_ with each other. All the thrill has gone, hasn't it? And now you've settled into a little routine: wake up in the morning, take the kids to school, blah, blah, blah...but correct me if I'm wrong: when we first spoke, wasn't that the sort of thing you were trying to avoid?"

He finally looked up at her. "What are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying," Vanessa said, "That there's a part of you that is_ bored_ with your life. That craves the excitement you used to have. Don't you want it back?"

"No," he said, after a moment's pause. "I'm _fine_. Everything's fine and I don't need any help from you."

"All right," Vanessa nodded. "But don't you at least want to get Selina back for hurting that sweet daughter of yours? Why don't you show her by leaving her alone for a couple of days and letting yourself have a little fun? You deserve it by now. Am I wrong?"

"I don't know," Klaus said. "She's been reading her uncle's notes about werewolves and...well, I think she might go crazy if she catches me..."

"Oh, stop!" Vanessa snapped, glaring at him. "You're making me ill. Stop letting her run your life and for heaven's sake, behave like a man! Take what you want! Do you what you want! And don't give a damn about what she thinks!"

"All right, all right!" Klaus stood up. "I guess you have a point. And I _am_ mad at her about the whole Roxie situation. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to give Selina a little surprise."

Vanessa grinned. "I could help."

He nodded. "All the better."

* * *

><p>Selina cautiously approached Roxie's bedroom door and did the knock. Roxie, who had been turned back by Helene a lot sooner than Selina would have liked, opened it and stared up at her mother. "Hello. Thank you for knocking."<p>

Selina nodded. "You're welcome." She got down on her knees so that she and Roxie were eye to eye. "Listen," she said. "Do you want to go somewhere with me, or should I drop you off at Grandma's?"

"It depends," Roxie said. "Would I have to be on top of the car?"

Selina shook her head. "No. And I shouldn't have done that. It was wrong. I should have discussed it with you like a calm, reasonable person."

Roxie nodded. "Yes you should have."

"So," Selina looked at her hopefully. "Do you want to come with me?"

"Can we get ice cream first?" Roxie asked.

* * *

><p>Selina watched Roxie eat her chocolate ice cream out of the corner of her eye. "Where are we going?" Roxie asked.<p>

"We're going to visit somebody special," Selina said with one hand on the wheel. "Somebody you've never met before."

"Who is it?" Roxie asked curiously.

"My uncle," Selina said. "I think you'll like him." She drove up to a red brick house, parked the car, and took Roxie's hand, helping her up the steps. They reached the door and Selina knocked on the door. It opened a few minutes later and they were ushered inside by a tall, handsome young man with dark hair and dark eyes. When they were all seated on mismatched chairs in the living room, The young man cleared his throat and looked at Roxie. "So is this her?" He asked.

"Yes," Selina nodded. "This is Roxanne."

He kept Roxie's eyes. "Roxanne," he said firmly, "I'm your uncle Jake. Do you know why your mother brought you here today?"

Roxie shook her head. "No."

"She brought you here because you're just like me," Jake said. "And your mother says it's been hard for you because of that. Has it?"

"No," Roxie shook her head. "She's just mean to me a lot. It's not my fault. She's jealous cause I like Daddy better than her."

Jake sucked in a breath. "Oh, damn. I forgot. You and Klaus together would make her a..."

"Yes," Selina nodded gravely. "Can you help us?"

"Yes, I think," he nodded, looking keenly at his niece. "I think though, that it would be easier to start with you. You'll adjust better than she will."

"And I want us to get along more than she does." Selina said.

"To begin," Jake said, "I don't want more of those types of statements from either of you. I'm sure in both your heart of hearts, you want to have a good relationship. And you'll have to work hard at it, but I think we can make this work. I'll have to see the two of you together a couple of times a week, all right?"

Roxie rolled her eyes. "Okay."

"All right," Selina nodded.

"Starting tomorrow, at two o'clock." Jake said, giving them a look. "All right," Selina said. She marched Roxie out to the car and shut the door, saying she had to talk to her uncle for a little bit longer.

"This'll be exciting," Jake said, taking Selina's hand. "I don't think I've ever seen two more stubborn people. She's definitely your daughter."

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "And I think the reason it's so difficult sometimes is that when I look at her, I_ do _see myself. I remember when I wanted to be fully acquainted with my nature and how I resented Mama preaching normalcy. But now I'm in Mama's spot and I feel like such a hypocrite."

Jake grinned and gave her a hug. "You can handle this," he said. "Just trust yourself."

Selina nodded. "And one more thing: when did you start going by Jake? I thought you hated nicknames."

"I do," Jake said. "But those_ Twilight _movies have really made me despise my full name."


	48. Love and Lunacy in Las Vegas

Of course Adrian compelled the EMT to let him be in the ambulance when they drove Helene to the hospital. She'd lost a lot of blood, obviously and they were giving her transfusions en route. When they arrived at the hospital, she was still unconscious. They put her in a room, tucked her in, and a nurse said she'd be back in an hour to check for any changes. Adrian watched them from behind a corner of wall near her room and once they were all gone, he snuck in. When he saw her, he winced. He hated seeing her stuck up with tubes, her lovely brown eyes closed. He shut the door and then took her hand. "I did this again," he whispered. "It's my fault. But I can fix it."

He slit his wrist and let his blood dribble into her mouth for a while. Then, he waited. Eventually, she opened her eyes. "Oh, God," she whispered. "What happened to me?"

"I did it," he said. "How much do you remember?"

She tried to sit up, but he stopped her. "Don't," he said. "Just lie back."

Helene sighed. "What I remember is this: you and I were...you know, and then you got hungry and said you needed blood, so I said 'here, have some of mine', even though you told me that was a bad idea. Guess I should have listened, huh?"

He nodded. "I didn't mean to, really. You know that, right?"

Helene blinked. "Of course you meant to," she said. "Maybe not consciously, but you did. Just like when you attacked me at the park."

"Yeah," Adrian said, lowering his eyes. "Just like when I attacked you at the park."

"I'm not _mad_ at all," Helene told him. "Not by a long shot. I understand that you do what you have to do to survive. It's my fault for tempting you after you told me it wasn't a good idea."

Adrian looked up. "That's true," he said. "I _did_ tell you, didn't I?" He paused. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better, I think," Helene nodded. "Hopefully they'll let me out once they see I'm better. I hate hospitals." She shivered. "So many tubes and wires and machines. And they're always so _cold_."

"And what about the mad scientist's laboratory you call a basement?" Adrian asked. "Not exactly the type of place to put one at ease."

"Well," Helene said matter-of-factly, "We have to put the spell ingriedients and the grimoires somewhere, don't we? Why not the basement?"

He shrugged. "I don't know."

Helene groaned. "My parents are going to find out about this, you know," she said. "Mom isn't going to like me having to go to the hospital again."

"Yeah, but I made you better," Adrian pointed out. "Maybe we can sneak you out of here before they know a thing."

"Maybe?" Helene grinned. "What, no confidence in your sneaking abilities?"

Adrian went to look out the window. "A nurse is coming," he said. "Tuck yourself in!"

"What are _you_ going to do?" Helene asked.

Adrian grinned. "Watch," he said.

He disappeared into a closet and the nurse, in scubs and a white and purple flowered t-shirt entered the room, doing a double take when she saw Helene. "I thought there was a coma patient in here," she said. "Am I in the wrong room?"

Adrian appeared just then, wearing a doctor's jacket and stethoscope over his t-shirt and jeans. "What seems to be the problem here?" he asked in a fake deep voice. Helene saw him and put her blanket over her head to stem her giggles.

"Oh," the nurse seemed almost alarmed by the sight of him. "Nothing, really doctor. I was told that there was a coma patient in this room and the girl in that bed is awake."

"Ah," Adrian nodded. "Well, sad story. There _was _a girl in this room who was a coma patient, but she...just got up and walked out. It was the strangest thing. I think I saw her walking down that hallway," he pointed down the hallway on the right side. "You should go and catch her. I'll take care of things here. Keep up the good work."

The nurse smiled. "Thank you, doctor. I will."

They left Helene's room and were making their way toward the hospital exit when Helene told Adrian to stop. "Oh, god," she peered in a window. "Look. That's Anthony in there! He seems to be recovering nicely." She turned back to face Adrian. "Do you think I should go in and apologize for what I did to him?"

Adrian nodded. "Sure," he said. "And I should probably put in some words too. It'll be my good deed for the day."

"What?" Helene asked in surprise as he ushered her into Anthony's room. "But you hate him. Why would you give him any regards?"

Adrian assumed a fatherly expression. "Because, my dear Helene, sometimes, one must turn the other cheek and be the bigger person if one is to succeed in life."

Helene burst out laughing again. "Oh, please. Are you thinking of doing something to him while he's down?"

Adrian grinned. "Maybe."

She hit him on the shoulder. "You behave."

They went in and stood by Anthony's bed. "What do you want?" Anthony asked, looking at them suspiciously. His eyes moved to Helene. "I thought you were really sick! I heard the doctor call your parents. They should be here any minute now."

"Well, it'll be good news for them then," Helene said, trying to sound cheerful. "Anyway, we came in to ask how you were feeling. Better?"

Anthony looked at her bitterly. "At least I can move now. That was some clever little trick you pulled."

"Well I don't like to be touched," Helene snapped. "Let that be a lesson to you."

Anthony eyed Adrian's hand on Helene's waist. "I just bet you don't."

At that moment, a pink-cheeked, blonde candy striper with wide brown eyes and a fist full of hard candy entered the room. She saw Adrian in the doctor's coat and made a beeline for him. "Excuse me," she said. "Would you be Doctor Wagner? I'm new and they told me to look for Doctor Wagner."

Adrian cleared his throat and nodded. "Yes, yes I am Doctor Wagner." He turned to look at Anthony and then back at the candy striper, keeping his eyes locked on her. "Young lady, this boy is going into surgery. I need you to shave him from head to toe. I don't know where I'm going in yet and I want to keep my options open."

"All right," she said in a monotone. "But I don't really know how to handle a razor."

Adrian grinned. "That's all right. I'll stay here and supervise."

The girl came back with the shaving cream and straight razor a few minutes later. "Wait a minute," Helene said. "He's not really a doctor. You don't have to do this."

The candy striper, whose nametag said _Julie_ paid no attention her. Helene turned and gave Adrian a look as Julie sharpened the razor. "All right," she said to him. "You've had your fun, now take the compulsion off her before somebody gets hurt. And that somebody could be you, just so you know."

Instead of bothering to look ashamed, he pulled her to him. "Really?" He asked, running his hands over her. "Can I see?"

"No!" she pushed him away. "We're in a _hospital_ for crying out loud! Not the sort of place you should even _think_ about doing stuff like that in!"

"Well," he said. "I saw a closet a few doors down. Can we at least go in there and make out a little?"

She shook her head. "No," she said severely. "There's a time and a place. Now we have more important things to think about, like how..."

As Adrian watched her, he lost track of what she was saying. He saw her standing in front of him, but now she was wearing a bikini. Suddenly, she began to move her hips back and forth and his eyes followed her every move. She smiled saucily and said his name. "Adrian! Adrian, what is the matter with you?"

"What?" He blinked.

Helene frowned at him. "Haven't you heard a word I've been saying to you? My parents are going to be here any minute and they can't know I'm better! We need to get me back to my room and make it look like I'm still in a coma."

"I thought we were going to the closet," Adrian said, following behind her and honestly doing his best to keep his eyes off her butt.

"No," She turned suddenly and made him start. "We aren't going to the closet. Can you imagine what would happen if we went to the closet?"

"Yeah..." Adrian's mind was wandering again. Now they _were _in the closet, kissing each other hard, their hands roaming every inch of each other's bodies, slowly removing each other's clothes as they...

He growled. "Can we just go into the closet for like, five minutes? _Please?"_

She turned around and rolled her eyes, kissing him once, long and hard. Then, she pulled away. "There," she said. "Better?"

"No," he said resentfully.

They found Helene's room again and she tucked herself into the bed.

"Now what?" Adrian asked.

"Would you get that nurse you compelled?" Helene asked.

Adrian nodded and left the room. While he was gone, something occurred to her: She couldn't have Adrian here in the room with her. Not yet. At least not until she'd let her parents say what they undoubtedly wanted to say. When at last he returned, she was sitting up and watching out the door as he brought the nurse in. When he saw she was eyeing him, he came over to the bed. "What?" He asked. "It looks like you've got something on your mind."

She sighed. "You know, I was thinking that I might like to go into the closet after all."

"But what about your parents coming and you not wanting them to find us?" Adrian asked.

She shrugged, getting out of bed and taking his hand, pulling him out the door. "I've decided I don't really care anymore. Come on!"

"All right!" he cheered as she pulled him along. "Here's the closet," he said, prodding her to stop. She pulled up in front of the closet door and turned. "I see that." She opened it and they both squeezed inside.

They made out for several minutes, and when they paused for a moment, Helene pushed Adrian against the back wall of the closet, straighened her gown, went out into the hallway and shut the door behind her, locking Adrian inside. "Hey!" He cried, pounding on the door. "What gives?"

"I'm sorry," she called back. "I have to explain some things to Mom and Dad, but I'll let you out in a minute." She made her way back to her room, where Alistair and Astrid were waiting for her. When Alistair saw her, he looked at her confusedly. "The nurse told us you were in a coma. Where were you?"

"Well," she said, climbing onto the bed and pulling the blankets in her lap, "it's a slight exaggeration to say that I was in a coma. I got hurt, I was unconscious for a bit, and now I'm better."

Astrid came to stand next to her bed. "But dear, what _happened _to you that made you get hurt so bad?"

"I was with Adrian and he said he needed blood, so I gave it to him and it got a little out of hand," she said.

Alistair's expression darkened, just like she knew it would. "This is the second time you've ended up in the hospital because of him, Helene. Do you realize that?"

She nodded. "Yes, Daddy. I do."

He kept his eyes on her. "I'm afraid that for your own good, I have to do something about that."

"No!" Helene protested. "Neither time was his fault. It was all me! The first time, I told him that I'd come stay with him during his transformation, you know, so he'd be all right. But then Anthony distracted me by telling me about that protest rally for the old tree in the park and I forgot to go be with Adrian and he changed completely. That's why he hurt me. And this time, it was I who tempted him. He told me that he didn't want to take my blood, but I made him because I thought it would be easier."

"You've been staying with Adrian during full moons?" Astrid asked, looking at her daughter worriedly. "Don't you realize how dangerous that is? You're very lucky he never killed you!"

"Of course he didn't," Helene said. "And he never would. Because he _loves_ me! And I love him!"

Alistair scoffed. "You're sixteen. What do you know about that?"

Helene frowned, getting out of the bed to stand right in front of her father. "A lot more than you, apparently!" She said.

Alistair waved her away. "Oh, don't be ridiculous!"

Helene narrowed her eyes at her father. "You're so cold. It's amazing that you know how to love anybody at all!"

She strode out the hospital room door, leaving her parents staring at one another in shocked silence. After awhile, Astrid said, "It's all right, Alistair. I'm sure she didn't mean that."

Alistair turned to her, struggling to keep himself from crying. "I mean well," he said. "Is it wrong for me to want my only child to stay alive long enough so that I can see her be successful, get married and have children of her own? If she continues this infatuation with Adrian, who knows what might happen to her?"

"I know," Astrid said, putting her arms around him. "But this is just a phase. She'll come to her senses eventually. And we should be grateful that it's Adrian, in a way. He already knows everything about her, so it's not like she has to be incredibly careful with her magic, like she would with a human boy."

"That's not what worries me," Alistair said. "I've known Adrian his whole life, and I've known his parents for longer than that. And his father isn't exactly known for being the most caring person romantically. What if Adrian gets tired of Helene and dumps her? Then what are we going to do?"

Astrid shook her head. "We aren't going to do anything. It's not our place. We have to let her chalk it up to life experience and move on to somebody else. But Klaus and Selina have been together for sixteen years! Do you realize that?"

Alistair's eyes widened. "What? Has it really been that long?"

"Yes," Astrid nodded. "So there may be hope for Adrian after all. Even so, I do think they shouldn't be running off alone together so young, which is what they might be doing."

"So we'll go after her," Alistair said. "Tell her she needs to come back."

"No," Astrid shook her head. "I don't see that being a good idea. Anthony's almost healed. We can send him to look after her and he can report back to us and make sure nothing bad is going on. Can you deal with that?"

Alistair sighed. "I suppose." They left Helene's room to give Anthony their proposition.

* * *

><p>Adrian had managed to break himself out of the closet just in time to get to Helene's room and hear Alistair and Astrid talking. Luckily for him, they couldn't hear him eavesdropping through the window. Even so, he heard every word of their conversation, and eventually came to realize that Alistair had a point. He hadn't thought of that at first, but now it was really hitting home. How truthful was that vision that Astrid had had about Helene dying if she went to prom with him? He slowly sank down on the floor in the hallway, sighing. He loved her and if there was any truth to it at all, it was his responsibility to keep Helene alive, no matter how much of a bum deal it was for him. When he saw Helene again, he'd tell her.<p>

"Hey sport!" He looked up. There she was, standing over him and grinning. "Hey," he said. "I need to talk to you-"

"Can it wait?" She interrupted. "We need to go!"

"Go where?" He asked.

She shrugged. "I don't know. Anywhere so long as it's not this stupid hospital."

"Wait!" He cried as she started pulling him toward the exit doors. "We don't have clothes or toothbrushes or anything!"

"So?" She asked. "You're a vampire, right? Can't you just compel people to give us whatever we want?"

"Yes," he nodded. "I _can_, but-"

"No problem then," Helene said cheerfully and pulled him out the hospital door.

When they reached his car, she sat down in the driver's seat and he sat in the passenger's, and once the doors were closed, she smiled at him and said, "So travel buddy...where are we going?"

He shook his head. "We're not going anywhere."

"What?" She asked.

"Well," he recanted, "I suppose we could go to your house if you wanted."

"My house?" Helene pouted. "That's _boring!_ I want to go somewhere exciting. Like Vegas!" Her eyes lit up. "Oh, that's a good idea. Vegas it is, then!" She started the car.

"Wait," Adrian said. "Helene, I don't want to do this."

"What?" She asked, looking surprised. "What do you mean?"

Adrian sighed. "I heard your parents talking," he said. "And all your father wants is for you to have a normal life. I agree with him, so I'm going to step away and let you be with someone else who can give you that."

"What are you saying?" Helene asked. "Don't you love me?"

"Yes," He nodded. "And that's why I'm backing away. Your mother had a vision that you'd die if we stayed together and as long as we've both been alive, she's never been wrong."

"All right," Helene stopped the car and her mouth became a thin line. "Fine. I get it. You want to abandon me after I made a passionate speech to my father defending how I feel about you. That's really nice." She swatted him. "Did you not pay any attention to your mother's story at all? And I believe you've told me it before too, that you and I aren't normal people, so if we try and live normal lives, we'll be bored to tears. Your parents are together and happy, so why can't you and I be together and happy?"

"You can't compare you and me and my parents. It's two totally different things. For one, my parents had the capability to become the same species. And they did. You and I are completely different with no way to make us the same!"

"I could become a vampire," Helene said.

"No!" Adrian shook his head. "There is no chance in hell that you are becoming a vampire!" He yelled some more after that, but Helene zapped him silent. She watched his lips move, but no words came out. Nodding with satisfaction, she started the car again and the journey to the airport to get tickets to Vegas.

* * *

><p>Adrian fought her and lectured all the way to the airport, so finally she just turned him into a little dog that she could stick in a carry on case. As she looked it over, she thought to herself that maybe his Aunt Anna had the right idea after all. She made it so she could get straight on the plane with no problems, sticking Adrian on the seat beside her. She watched him for a minute, pondering whether she should turn him back now, or wait until they were at the hotel. Hotel, she decided. Then he definitely wouldn't be able to get away.<p>

When they got into the room (which had a king sized bed and large picture windows) Helene let Adrian out of the cage and turned him back. He looked adorably rumply. He gazed around the room and back at her. "Where are we?" He asked suspiciously.

"Vegas," she said. "Like I told you. Nice room, isn't it?"

"Yes," he said, looking over at the bed. "You can take the bed, I'll sleep on the floor."

"No, silly," she said. "It's a big bed. We can both fit in it. Want to come and make sure?" She got on it and patted the spot beside her suggestively.

"Okay." He came toward her and put his arms around her. They got halfway through undressing each other before he managed to pull himself away. "No," he said. "I'll sleep on the floor."

She grinned. "All right, but it won't be as comfy." He got off the bed and she followed him, pinning him to the floor and unzipping him. She kissed down his stomach and grinned. "That's better, isn't it?" She said, running her fingers through his hair.

"Yeah," he said, looking up at her. "It sure is." He removed her pants and eased her panties down, kissing her as she moaned with satisfaction.

At that moment, the door opened. "Helene, you're parents sent me here to...Oh, my god!"

Helene looked up and gasped. "Anthony! What are _you_ doing here?"


	49. Nuptials Doomed

Selina parked in the garage and got out, walking around to help Roxie out of the passenger side door. They'd just finished a session with Jake and, in her opinion, had made no progress whatsoever. "I'm so glad that's over!" Roxie crowed. "Now I can see Daddy!" She bounded into the house and Selina followed at a much slower pace, pulling her chocolate colored leather jacket tighter around her shoulders. It was getting colder out. When they were both inside with warm air hitting their faces and enhaling the scent of vanilla and turpentine that hit them whenever they entered the house, Roxie ran down the hallway toward Selina and Klaus' bedroom. Selina followed, but paused Roxie just outside the bedroom door. There was loud, boistrous giggling coming from inside the room.

"What's going on in there, you think?" Roxie asked her mother. "Do you think Daddy's having a party?"

Selina's eyes narrowed. "I don't know. But I intend to find out."

"Should I come too?" Roxie asked.

Selina shook her head, handing Roxie a caramel. "Go to your room, please. You can see Daddy later, I promise, but right now he and I have to talk about grown up stuff."

"Okay," Roxie said. She pouted but did as she was asked and strode off to her room. Selina threw the door open and was met by shrieks as four girls who were very naked tried to cover themselves up. Two were in front of the bed, clutching pillows, and the other two were in bed with Klaus.

"So," Selina said, advancing into the room with a sour expression on her face. "It seems Roxie was right. You _are_ having a party in here. And just why wasn't I given an invitation?" She gave one of the girls on the floor a swift kick in the head. She screamed and collapsed. Blood welled up on the carpet.

"Actually, love, we _were_ having a party," Klaus said. "But your showing up ruined it."

Selina gave him a look. "Oh, I _am_ sorry that coming home to my own house and appearing in my own bedroom where I have every right to be interferes with your plans to fuck every girl in this town while you think I'm not looking." She looked down at the girl she'd knocked out and the other one who was crying and whimpering. "They have pillows," Selina said, snatching one away. "What did you do? Compel a naked pillow fight?"

Klaus grinned. "Yes, I did. You could have joined them if you wanted. It would have been _most _enjoyable for me." He looked at the girls on either side of him. "Unless coming to bed is more to your liking. Come on in, darling. It's not like there isn't room."

Selina frowned. "Look, I've just had a really bad three hours, all right? And I don't want to put up with this bullshit anymore. So, as for whether or not I will be joining you and your little harlots in bed, no. But here's what I _will _do." She came over to the bed and snapped one girl's neck, then the other, pushing them off the bed and onto the floor.

Once they were on the floor, she looked up at Klaus, expecting to see anger. But no, he was grinning. Laughing at her even. "What's so funny?" She asked through her teeth. Then she kicked the other girl with the pillow just because she felt like it.

Klaus was doubling over now. His laughter echoed in the room. She growled and strode across the room, giving him a good hard slap. "Tell me," she said. "What is so funny?"

He ran his hand over the cheek she slapped and then pulled her down with him. "You're funny," he said. "Not to mention very hot when you get angry."

She scoffed. "Oh, shut up. What's going on here? Were you _planning_ on me killing those girls?"

"Yes," he nodded. "I knew the second you came in and saw them, it would be curtains."

"Oh," she said. "So you didn't actually sleep with them. They were just there for decoration."

"No," he shook his head and grinned wickedly. "I slept with them all right."

"And what about me?" Selina pouted. "What am _I_ supposed to do? Just sit back and accept it? You're married to me, and that means that you're only supposed to have sex with me. Nobody else!"

"All right then," he said. "Sounds good to me. You're here, I'm here. Let's have sex." He snuck one hand under the waistband of her jeans and the other under her red shirt.

"No," she said. "I don't want to."

"But you just said..."

"It's not the same thing," she said, moving his hands and getting off the bed."You only want to have sex now because I told you to. It's just some pitiful attempt to make up for your stupid idea. And I don't want that."

She began walking away from the bed, careful to give the four dead girls good swift kicks in their heads, but when she reached the door, Klaus cleared his throat. "What?" She asked with her hand on the doorframe.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" He asked.

"Like what?" She said.

"You remember the rule," he said, getting out of bed and coming to push her against the wall. "You kill them, you dispose of the bodies."

"Well that's just not fair," Selina protested. "You orchestrated the whole damn thing, so _you_ do it!"

She pushed him away and then, a split second later, realized what a bad idea that was. He pushed back, she hit him, he hit her. Before she knew it, he'd picked her up, thrown her onto the bed and climbed on top of her, undressing her.

She thought about struggling, but decided it was no use and just gave in. But when they were done, and he'd finally rolled off her, she said "You know, I really hate it when you do that."

He rolled back to face her, kissed her again, and said, "And just what is that, bunny?"

She was so distracted by the new nickname that she temporarily forgot she was angry. "Bunny? What the hell kind of nickname is that?"

"Well," he said, putting his arms around her and kissing her neck, "You're soft and cuddly, and you can go on and on and on..."

She groaned and pushed the covers aside. "Yes, well I don't feel so cuddly right now and let me just say that you suck." She began rooting around on the floor for her clothes.

"Do I really?" He asked her, peering over her side of the bed. "You didn't seem to think so not twenty minutes ago."

She looked up at him, at his smug, stupid face. "Yeah, well...shut up. Where the hell did my underwear go?"

"Oh, wonderful comback, darling," Klaus said. "You _really_ showed me." He reached under the covers and pulled something out. "Oh, and look what I found!"

She rolled her eyes. "Just give them to me!" She snatched them away and headed to the bathroom to finish getting dressed. As she was coming out of the bathroom, her cell phone rang.

"Hey," she said. "What's up?" She listened for a couple of minutes, her eyes widening. "I'll be right there." She hung up the phone. "I have an errand to run and will _not_ be back for quite some time, so...goodbye."

"Wait a minute," he said, getting out of bed and putting on a pair of pants. "That must be some errand. What's going on?"

"Oh, according to Astrid, the kids' school called and they never came back from lunch. Then Anthony called and said he'd found them at the Chambord hotel in Vegas, so we were going to go pick them up."

"And you were going to shut me out?" He asked.

"Of course not," she said. "I just figured you would rather stay here and watch Roxie."

"Not now," he shook his head. "We can drop her off at my mother's."

"And what about Rusty?" Selina asked.

"Let's take him," Klaus said. "He can follow the trail."

Selina giggled. "And since when did _he _become a crime dog?"

"Well," Klaus said, "you have to work with what you've got, don't you?"

They went and got Rusty out of Adrian's bedroom, attached him to his leash, and then went to get Roxie. When she saw Klaus, she jumped off her bed and went to hug him hard. "I'm so glad to see you!"

He kissed her on the top of her head. "I'm glad to see you too, darling, but Mommy and I have to go do something so we're going to drop you off at Grandma's for a little while, all right?"

Roxie pulled away and looked up at him. "Why can't I come too?"

"Because you would get bored," Selina said. "Trust me, you'll have much more fun at Grandma's. But we'll bring you a present."

"All right," Roxie said, and let Klaus carry her to the car.

* * *

><p>As they drove away from Elissavetta's after dropping off Roxie, Selina got a text. "It's from Adrian," she said, opening up her phone: "At fancy hotel in vegas with helene. she's lost her mind. help me. adrian."<p>

Selina texted back: we know. hang in there. we're coming to get you.

"The Chambord, wow." She said. "They must really be up to something to go there. Although I hope it's not what I think it is. Although he _is_ a sixteen year old boy, and we've never exactly been firm with him about...you know."

"Oh, please," Klaus said. "We just spent who knows how long having sex and you can't even say it out loud? And what's the point about being firm with him about sex anyway? You said your piece, right? About how he should wait until he found the right person and to not just let his hormones control him or else he'll get into trouble, blah, blah, blah..."

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "I told him all that."

"Well that's good. But he _is _a hybrid and things happen," Klaus said.

"Oh, you don't have to tell me that," Selina said. "Should I tell Astrid that we'll meet them at the landing pad for the jet? It'll be quicker."

"Sure," Klaus said. "Go ahead. Then we'll see exactly _whose_ idea this little jaunt was."

* * *

><p>Astrid, Alistair, Klaus and Selina arrived in Vegas in what seemed like no time at all. They then went to find the Chambord and Selina asked the desk clerk if anyone matching Adrian or Helene's descriptions had come by and asked for a room.<p>

"Yes," the clerk said, looking up at Alistair. "Strange girl. Came in yesterday, carrying a dog case but she wouldn't let anybody touch it. Said it was special. You wouldn't happen to be related to her, would you?"

"Yes," Alistair nodded. "That's our daughter," he gestured at Astrid. "Hers and mine."

"Well they seemed awfully young, but we put them in room 323. Here's an extra key. You can let yourselves in."

* * *

><p>They found the room. They didn't need the key, though. The door had been forced open. They went inside. No one was there. There were signs that someone had been at some point, and it had definitely been Adrian and Helene. Selina found Adrian's shirt on the bed and one of Helene's shoes underneath it. "Where'd they go?" Selina asked, looking at Astrid. "Are you getting anything?"<p>

"No," Astrid shook her head. She looked worried. "I wish I could, though."

They looked around and found nothing, not even a note. Until Klaus pulled a slip of paper out from under the bed. "I found something," he said. "It says 'can't tell you where we are, but we're safe. H'."

Alistair took the note. "Helene wrote this?" He asked in surprise.

"Looks like it," Selina nodded. "It's good they left us the note. It means we don't have to look anymore. I mean, they say they're okay, so..."

"We're still looking for them," Alistair said. "Astrid and I will get a car and drive around to see if we can find anything, and the two of you stay here and listen for the phone in case they call."

"All right," Klaus called. "We'll find some way to entertain ourselves. Don't you worry."

Once the door was closed, Selina turned to him. "So we're just going to stay here?"

He shook his head. "I have a much better idea. There's a restaurant/bar downtown that Vanessa and I used to meet at. I have contacts there. We could go ask them if they've noticed anything. Joe is a very observant man."

"Is he really?" Selina asked.

"Yes," Klaus said insistently. "Would I lie to you?"

Selina grinned. "No, of _course_ you wouldn't. So you want us to go to this restaurant and try to get information out of your friend? Great!"

"Actually," Klaus said, "he has to be softened up before he meets new people. Not exactly the most trusting type. So would you mind staying here for an hour or so in case Helene or Adrian calls? Then you can come meet me." He scribbled something on a piece of paper and handed it to her. "Here's the address." She looked at it. "All right."

"Now," Klaus said. "I have to go pick up some things, but first, we have to get our own room."

* * *

><p>They got a room for themselves and then Klaus went out and got evening clothes for them: a black suit and white shirt for himself and a dark red dress for Selina. When he got back, she was in the shower. He went into the bathroom and undressed with the idea of stealthily joining her, but she screamed and covered herself up when he pulled the curtain aside.<p>

"What's the matter with you?" He asked when the ringing in his ears had subsided. "It's only me."

"Well," Selina was naked and dripping wet. "Can you blame me? I didn't know you were going to open the curtain like that! You've never seen _Psycho_ have you?"

"Well, yes," he said. "I found it quaint."

"Did you come in here for a reason?" She asked.

"I was hoping to sneak stealthily into the shower with you, but you've destroyed that plan," he said.

She grinned and stepped out, looking him over and running her hands over his body. "I don't think I've destroyed it completely," she said. "You could still come in with me."

He grinned. "I _could,_ couldn't I? Would you mind?"

She shook her head and turned the water on again, gesturing for him to go in ahead of her. "Be my guest."

Once they were both in the shower, they washed each other off thoroughly, then turned everything off and stepped out. As they dried each other off, they threw their arms around each other and he picked her up and carried her to the bed, rapidly kissing and nipping her neck. They ran their hands over each other's bodies and just as things were about to go past the point of no return, Selina cried, "Stop!"

"What?" Klaus asked in surprise. "No! No stopping is allowed. Not now!"

"I just wonder if doing this when Adrian is missing makes us bad people."

He stared at her in disbelief. "Seriously? Darling, now is not the time to be wrestling with moral dilemmas. They can handle themselves if something bad has happened. Now, where were we?"

She leaned up and kissed him. "I guess you're right," she said. "And we were right about...here."

They wrestled around on the bed for a few more hours, and then, as it got dark, Klaus decided he better put on his suit and head over to Joe's."

Selina watched him as he dressed. "You know," she said, "I think I enjoy you in a suit as much as I do when you aren't wearing anything."

"Oh, really?" He turned and grinned. "Well, bunny, that's sweet of you."

She winced at the nickname. "Do you really have to call me 'bunny'? It makes me sound so harmless and lame."

He nodded. "Yes, I do have to call you bunny. I think it suits you."

She got out of bed, put on a robe and went to tie his tie for him. "So you want me to meet you in an hour?" She asked.

"Yes," He nodded. "Do you have the address?"

She held it up. "Got it."

He left and she waited by the phone. And waited. And waited. But nobody called. Eventually, she got dressed, put a leash on Rusty and took him to the restaurant where Klaus' friend was.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Klaus was already in the restaurant, standing behind the bar and making himself very popular by mixing drinks for everybody. "You see," he said to the eager, watching crowd, "mixing drinks is not difficult. It's like dancing. The important thing is the rhythm. Always have rhythm in your shaking. Now a Manhattan you shake to fox-trot time, a Bronx to two-step time, a dry martini you always shake to waltz time."<p>

He gave the cocktail shaker one last shake and then set it down, pouring its contents, a perfectly mixed Manhatten, into three waiting glasses. Everybody cheered. He was about to mix another batch when all of a sudden, the front door to the restaurant burst open and Rusty came running in, barking and dragging a struggling Selina behind him.

"What's this?" An angry, ruddy-faced man approached her. Klaus stepped out from behind the bar and put a hand on his shoulder. "Oh, it's all right, Joe. It's all right. It's my dog. And, uh, my wife."

Selina put her hand on her hips and feigned anger. "Well you might have mentioned me first on the billing."

When she saw that Joe's face had relaxed, she put out the hand that had Rusty's leash on it. "Selina Warren. Nice to meet you."

Joe took her hand and then looked at Klaus in surprise. "Jeez, Nick. It never occurred to me that you'd get yourself hitched." He not so subtley looked her over. "And it looks like you've caught yourself a good one."

Selina gave him a small smile. Joe and everyone else in the restaurant were a sketchy looking bunch. She came around and gave him a grin, pushing him a little, then leaning against his shoulder as she looked around the restaurant again. "Oh, Nicky, I love you because you know such lovely people."

Klaus grinned. "I do, don't I?"

Joe finally cleared his throat. "So what finally brings you back here, Nick? Do you need something?"

Klaus nodded. "As a matter of fact, we do. Our son went missing. You wouldn't happen to know where he went, would you?"

Joe's eyes widened. "So that kid who came in here _was _yours! He looked a lot like you. I wondered. He said something about being stuck with a girl who was off her nut and wanting a place to hide. I suggested Billy's. You know he's got that boardinghouse downtown now, right?"

Klaus' eyes widened a hair. "Darling," he said, his eyes catching Selina's. "Come to the car with me, will you?"

"Why?" She whispered. "Is Billy a bad person?"

"We had a deal that went wrong a while back. If he knows who Adrian is, that could be bad. I hope Adrian wasn't foolish enough to tell him the truth."

They began to make their way toward the door when Joe said, "Wait a minute there, Nick. We have to celebrate your wedding!"

Selina said, "Thank you, but that's not necessary."

Klaus elbowed her in the ribs. "Let's not be rude, darling." They sat down at a table and a waiter came to get their drink orders. After he left, a girl with deep green eyes and long, wheat colored hair entered the bar. As she sauntered past the table, Klaus followed her with his eyes. "Hey," Selina said. "What's going on?"

"Oh, nothing," he said, his eyes coming back to her. He grinned and took her hand."Pretty girl," Selina said, looking after the girl too.

"Yes," Klaus nodded. "She's a very nice type."

Selina blinked. "You got types?"

Klaus chucked her under the chin. "Only you, darling. Lanky, raven haired beauties with wicked jaws."

Selina grinned. "Well thank you. But you were looking at her like you knew her. Who is she?"

"Oh, nobody," Klaus said. "Just my daughter."

"What!" Selina cried. "You never told me you had another...when did it happen?"

"Oh, several years ago," Klaus was grinning now. "It was spring time, I was young and madly in love, it was an impulsive thing. You know how impulsive I am. We're all like that on my father's side. And then..."

"Wait!" Selina narrowed her eyes at him. "You're just messing with me, aren't you?"

"Yes," he nodded. "I am."

She socked him one, just as Joe brought them their drinks. "Trouble in paradise already?" He asked.

"No," Klaus said. "She just likes to hit me every once in awhile." He took up his drink and said to everyone seated in the restaurant "If I may propose a toast?" Everyone else held up their glasses in expectation. "Let us eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die."

Everyone else put their glasses down and began to chatter confusedly. Selina just grinned. "You give such charming toasts, Nicky."

He grinned and chinked her glass. "Thank you, bunny." Selina rolled her eyes and gulped hers down. "Now," she said. "About that girl..."

Just then, the aforementioned girl came bounding over to them. "Hi," she said to Klaus. "You probably don't remember me, but..."

"Oh, I do!" Klaus said. "Lili! I would recognize you anywhere. But how did you remember me?"

"Oh," Lili said. "You used to fascinate me. The master of the manor and everything. I know I might have seemed standoffish at the time, but...oh, let's not talk about that. It's too depressing. I remember you used to amuse me with all kinds of stories in an attempt to impress me. Were any of them true?"

"Probably not," Klaus said.

"Well," she said, "I see you're busy. Could I come back to your house later, so we could talk more? Where are you staying?"

"At a hotel about twenty minutes from here." He looked at Selina. "Lili's an old family friend. Would you mind if she comes and visits for awhile?"

"No," Selina said. "Of course not. It heartens me that you actually have a social life."

Joe came by again. "Go to Billy's," he said to them. "I called and he told me that the two kids were fixing to get married."

Selina's eyes widened. "Oh, my God. Joe, you can't be serious!"

"Oh, I am, missus," he said. "Trust me."

"I don't really have a choice, do I?" she said. She grabbed Klaus and pulled him up, looking apologetically at Lili. "Sorry, dear. But we have some family business to attend to."

She pulled him out of the restaurant with Rusty running after them, barking furiously. "We have to stop this," Selina said when they were driving toward Billy's. "I don't mind them experimenting sexually now, because with Adrian that's something that can't necessarily be helped, but they are way too young to get married!" She called Astrid and Alistair and told them where the kids had gone. When she hung up, she looked at Klaus. "Nicky, can't you go any faster?"

Klaus pushed the pedal down hard and they reached the building in record time. "So," Selina said to Klaus as they ran toward the building, Astrid and Alistair on their heels. "Was that the same Lili who you had to kill to become a vampire?"

"Yes," Klaus said. "But how did she get _here_?"

"Three guesses how," Selina said. "And they all begin with 'Vanessa'. She's trying to start trouble for us again."

"For once I'm glad we're parents to teenagers then," Klaus said, holding the door as they got inside. "That really headed off whatever Vanessa had in mind."

Just as they got inside, Astrid's cell phone rang. "Anthony's found them!" She said after she hung up. They drove to a small chapel on the strip and arrived just in time to voice their objections.

"Mom! Dad!" Adrian ran toward them.

"What's going on?" Selina asked. "Was this your idea?"

"No," Adrian shook his head. "It was Helene's."

"I really want to be with him," she said, eyeing her father resentfully. "Is that so wrong?"

"If it kills you, yes," Adrian nodded. "I don't want you to die. Why can't you understand that I _do_ love you too, and because of that, I don't want you to die?"

"Really?" She asked, looking surprised.

"Yeah," he said. "We can still be friends. I just don't think it's a good idea for us to date. Can you deal with that?"

Helene nodded resentfully. "I guess." She held out her hand and he took it. Then they left the chapel together with their parents following.

* * *

><p>After everyone was gone, Anthony stayed behind, sulking. Suddenly, a pretty woman with red hair and pretty blue eyes came up to him. "You know those two who just left?" She asked him.<p>

"Yeah," he nodded. "I do."

"I saw how you were looking at the girl," she said. "What's her name?"

"Helene," Anothony said immediately.

"You want her, don't you?" She said.

"Yeah," Anthony said. "I deserve her a lot more than _he _does."

"Well," she said, "My name is Vanessa, and I can help you get what you want. Do you want my help? Even though it'll take two years to get what you want?"

"Yes," he nodded. "What do I have to do?"


	50. So Long, and Goodnight

Klaus walked into the house after dropping Roxie off at kindergarten and was greeted by a curious silence. He peeked into the kitchen and the bedroom. "Bunny?" he called. "Where are you?" She didn't respond. Strange. He knew she was here, though. Her car was still in the driveway. Then it occurred to him that Astrid might have come to pick her up. He back to the front door. There was a table next to it where they always left notes for each other when they went out. He didn't see anything. As he headed toward the living room, going past the coat closet, it suddenly opened and Selina pounced on him, knocking him to the floor. She fell on top of him and put her hands on his shoulders so that he couldn't move and grinned at him. "I'll show you who's a bunny," she said. Then she proceeded to rip off his shirt and unzip him, making love to him right in the living room.

He was momentarily stunned, but soon relaxed into it. "Wow," he said as he threaded his fingers through her hair. "You're a determined little thing, aren't you?"

She had been kissing his neck furiously, but relented for a moment to raise her head and nod. When she was done, she rolled off him, breathing hard. She was flushed and grinning smugly. "What do you think of that?" She asked.

"Not bad at all," he said, leaning toward her so that they were practically nose to nose. Then he stood and zipped himself up. "But I think...you better run."

She eyed him for a moment, but then took off running toward the bedroom, giggling wildly. She wasn't making it difficult for him though, and he easily caught her in their doorway. He carried her to their bed and did the same thing to her that she'd done to him.

"You know," he said afterward as he ran kisses down her stomach, "you weren't really trying very hard this time, were you?"

She grinned slyly. "Well maybe _this time_, Bunny wanted to get caught." Then she put her arms around him, kissed him again. Then they buried themselves under the covers until they heard Adrian came home from school.

* * *

><p>Selina heard Adrian calling for them and threw the sheets off herself. "Quick!" she whispered. "Adrian's back! We have to get out there before he figures out what we've been doing all day!"<p>

Klaus smirked. "I believe you're implying that you think he doesn't know. Believe me, he does. He's forgotten to knock enough times that I'd be very surprised if he didn't know."

Selina shook her head. "That's not what I meant. I meant that if we don't get out there like, NOW, then maybe he'll come looking for us, and do we really want that?"

"No," Klaus said. "I see your point."

"Good," Selina said, getting out of bed and dressing. "We'll be out in a minute!" She called to Adrian.

They found him sitting at the kitchen table, looking haggard and deflated. As they entered the room, he didn't even look up.

"Adrian?" Selina asked quietly, approaching him like a frightened deer she thought would bolt. "What's the matter?"

For several moments, he didn't respond. When he finally looked up at her, she saw that unshed tears were glistening in his eyes, making them look large and impossibly blue. "I've done something bad," he said.

"Oh," Selina sucked in a breath, sitting down next to him and putting a hand on his shoulder. "Did you have to kill someone else? Because remember, that's not really your fault."

"No," Adrian sighed. "It's not that. It's Helene and me. Everything's different now."

Selina nodded. "Because this is the year she's supposedly going to die?"

"What do you mean 'supposedly'?" Adrian looked up, eyes flashing. "Astrid has never been wrong!"

"I know," Selina said quickly, backing off. "I was just trying to raise morale a little bit, but you're right. She's never been wrong. So why are things different?"

Adrian sighed. "Well, ever since we got back from Vegas, I've tried to keep away from her as much as possible. I guess she wants to do as much as she can before her life ends, including making it so that the two of us have a relationship, but I can't get involved with someone when I know they're going to be dead less than a year from now. It's too draining. So yesterday, I decided that since it didn't seem like just staying away would be enough, I have to do something more drastic. Like do things to make her hate me on purpose."

"So?" Klaus asked. "What did you do?"

"Well..." Adrian's face had changed. Now he was looking sheepish. "I have the last two periods of the day free, so I met up with this one girl from the cheerleading squad in the photography room and we..." He trailed off, blushing a little.

"You did what your mother and I do every day when you're at school and not here to interrupt us," Klaus filled in. Selina elbowed him in the gut. "Will you shush already? I'm _part_ of it and I don't like hearing about it!" Adrian smirked for a little bit and then sobered. "Anyway, we were in there, and then the last bell rang and I usually drive Helene home, so when I wasn't there, she came looking for me. And she found us."

"Helene found you and the cheerleader?" Klaus said. "You have to be more careful about these things," Klaus said. "The point is not to get caught."

Selina glared at him. "Not that I would need to have that knowledge at the forefront of my brain for any particular reason," Klaus said quickly.

"So Helene and I had a really awkward, silent ride home, and I don't know what she's going to say," Adrian finished.

"Well didn't you _want _to drive her away?" Klaus asked. "Wasn't that the point of all this?"

"Yes," Adrian said. "But now that it just might have happened, I feel terrible."

Selina put a hand on Adrian's shoulder. "I know it hurts you to have to be so horrible to someone you love."

He put a hand on hers. "But you think I'm doing the right thing, don't you?"

Selina sighed. "No, I don't. I thnk all you're doing is making yourself and Helene miserable."

"Then what should I do?" Adrian asked. "Be nice to her again?"

"Adrian," Selina began, "You aren't going to like this, but I thnk you should forget about her, as a romantic interest, I mean. Try seriously pursuing someone else, instead of just having these meaningless flings. You'll feel better for it in the end."

"Mom!" Adrian was shocked. "How can you say that?"

Selina shrugged. "Quite easily. I think you should find yourself a nice vampire or werewolf girl and settle down. They could give you a longevity and stability that Helene can't, since she's going to die soon."

Adrian stood up. "That's horrible coming from you, Mom. I would have thought you'd have more sympathy for me."

"If I did," Selina told him, "Then I would have to continue to watch you suffer. I'm only trying to spare you pain."

Adrian frowned. "Well you're doing a horrible job!" He hit the table and strode off to his room. After he was gone, Selina looked at Klaus. "Well that didn't go as well as I hoped."

Klaus came and put a hand on her shoulder. "Well, you tried."

Selina nodded. "Yeah, I did. But honestly, I don't know what else to tell him. To encourage him to be with Helene when he knows that the relationship's not going to last just seems wrong."

Klaus nodded. "I get it. Maybe though, we should try something else. Like getting him out of town for awhile. Or maybe _we_ could get out of town. Say, maybe you and I could go hunting tomorrow, just the two of us."

Selina sighed. "But I've seen the weather. It's cold and supposed to snow. Do you really want to be out in that? Plus, it's Roxie's birthday in a couple of days and I need to go shopping."

"And you can do all that," Klaus said. "Just come hunting with me first. It'll be fun. I promise."

* * *

><p>Selina was shaken roughly awake the next morning. "Come on, Bunny," Klaus said cheerfully. "You said you'd go hunting with me this morning."<p>

Selina looked at him through half open eyes. "No," she said sleepily, pushing her tangled hair out of her eyes and pulling the covers back over herself. "It's too cold!"

Klaus rolled his eyes. "Come on, you can't be serious."

Selina put her face against the pillow. When she spoke, her voice was muffled. "Yes, I am. Go away and leave me alone."

He ignored her of course, picking her up and putting her on the floor at the foot of the bed. She shrieked as the cold air hit her body and bare feet. "What part of 'it's too cold' do you not understand?" She stood up angrily. "If you ask me again, I _will_ kick you in the crotch, I swear."

He was laughing at her now. "You're such a wuss. I thought you'd be able to handle it, but there you go acting like a girl again!"

She growled and pushed him against the wall. "You take that back."

He shook his head. "I can't take back something that's true. If you're too fragile to handle a _little _bit of cold. fine. You stay here in your comfy little bubble and I'll go hunting by myself. But really, what kind of an example is that to set for Roxie? You want her to be tough and independent, don't you?"

Selina nodded. "Well, yes, but-"

"Then show her you can handle a little snow and cold. She'll respect you for it, I promise."

Selina hesitated. "Really?"

He ran a hand lightly over her cheek and looked at her with innocent eyes. "Would I lie to you?"

Selina pouted. "Well yes, but..."

Klaus grinned. "Come on, say it.."

Selina shut her eyes tight. "I have a feeling I'm really going to regret this, but fine. I'll come hunting with you. But if anything goes wrong, it's on your head."

He hugged her. "I love you, Bunny."

She growled. "I hate it when you call me bunny."

* * *

><p>Some time later, they, as two fully transformed wolves, were wandering around in the snow. Klaus had caught sight of some people hiking earlier. He'd gotten Selina to help him chase them, but then they'd lost them. And now she was pretty sure that <em>they<em> were lost. She couldn't see anything she recognized. She began sniffling around for a trail that would take them out of the woods and back to civilization, but there was nothing. Just snow and trees and more snow. But then her eyes caught a square shape ahead of her. She turned around, growled, and tackled Klaus to get his attention. Then, they both saw it. A small cabin in the middle of nowhere. How strange. They went up to it and looked around. No one was there. The cabin seemed run down and deserted, but the front door was open just a crack as if to invite them in. Selina pushed it open with her nose and then went inside. She didn't keep it open long enough for Klaus though, and it swung back and hit him in the nose. He whimpered and then pushed it open himself and followed her in. She found a bathroom and transformed back, and right afterward, Klaus did the same.

"It was really lucky we found this cabin, isn't it?" he said.

"Oh, yeah," Selina nodded. She was naked and shivering, hugging her upper half with her hands. "Really lucky we're lost with no clothes and no way to tell the kids where we are so they can come and rescue us! Oh, this is just perfect! I knew something was going to go wrong. Why didn't I just stay in bed today?"

He hugged her and began kissing her neck. "Because you love me and you want us to spend time together?"

Selina groaned. "No, because you conned me into it...again!"

He ran his hands over her body. "See, love, this is the problem you have on these little nature adventures of ours. You are incapable of adjusting to new circumstances, and that makes it difficult for you to make the best of things. Now I'm sure that since we're in a cabin, there's a bed around here somewhere and we can keep ourselves warm by huddling together under the covers." He raised an eyebrow suggestively. "Come on, you know you want to..."

Selina shook her head. "No, I don't want to. What I _want_ is to find some clothes so that we can leave and try to find our way back home! Now I'm sure there's a closet full of stuff around here someplace. It seems like someone was here at some point." She looked around the room and sighed. It looked like the dwarves' house in _Snow White _when she first arrived: dirty dishes were on the kitchen table and everything was covered in a thick layer of dust and cobwebs. "All right," she nodded resolutely. "I'm going to look around for some clothes and then I'm going to clean this place up a little." Her footsteps stirred up dust on the rug and she sneezed several times. Then she went looking around for some clothes. "I'll be in the bedroom," Klaus called after her. "Just come in and join me when you're ready."

He was pulling the covers off the mattress when he heard her scream. He was about to go find her when she came running into the room and put her arms around him. She was breathing hard and her eyes were wide and frightened. "I'm scared. Hold me." she was wearing an oversized red t-shirt with Minnie Mouse on it.

He grinned and complied. "See, now that wasn't so hard to admit, was it?"

She let him go and looked up at him, exasperated. "No, this isn't about _that._ The closet I found this shirt in had a _body_ in it. A horribly gross-looking, dismembered body!"

He looked at her, unimpressed. "So?"

"So?" Her voice rose. "So this could be a cabin belonging to a psycho killer! He could come back and find us, and then..."

"And then what?" Klaus asked. "It's not like he can kill us or anything?"

"Oh?" Selina asked. "What if he can? What if he's just that devious?"

"Show me the body," he said. She showed it to him. She had been correct. And after throwing a few of the sheets on the floor aside, he found several more bodies stacked in a crawlspace on the floor of the closet. "Who do you think would do something like this?" Selina asked.

Klaus shrugged. "I don't know. But whoever it is, we can probably just kill them."

Selina nodded, trying to look less nervous then she felt. He led her back to the bedroom. Just as they were closing the bedroom door, though, they heard the front door open. "Oh, god," Selina squeaked. "It's the killer! Let's hide under the bed! Maybe he won't find us!"

Klaus let Selina pull him under the bed, but once they were there, he grabbed her wrist and forced her to look in his eyes. "Honestly," he said. "How did you survive before you met me? You're a vampire-werewolf hybrid and here you are acting like a scared rabbit! Buck up, will you?"

Selina narrowed her eyes at him. "Fine. The killer is outside. I'll go confront him."

Klaus got out and went to stand beside her, running his hand down her back. "Good for you. If you're not back in twenty minutes, I'll assume you're dead and come up with an appropriately heroic story to tell the kids about your death."

"Oh," Selina scoffed. "Thank you _so_ much."

"Go!" He said and pushed her out the door.

She nodded, then hit the floor with a shriek, starting when she went out into the living room and the sight of her was met with equal surprise by the person dusting off the table and putting the dishes in the sink. "Pete?" She said in surprise. "What are _you_ doing here?"

He looked up and gasped. "I could ask you the same thing," he said. "This is the base for my pack. My brother was the leader, but he died, so now I have to take over."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Selina said. "Does that mean you won't be tending bar at Enid's anymore?"

"That's what it means," he said warily. "So what are you doing here?"

"Oh," she said, twisting a strand of hair. "Nicky and I were out hunting and when it started snowing, we got lost and this was the first place we saw. Sorry."

He grinned. "It's okay. I won't tell anybody." He looked her over. "My sister has some clothes in her closet that I think might fit you. They would be in the third room on the left."

"Oh," Selina said. "Thank you."

He led her to the room and opened the closet with a key. She dressed in jeans and a pink sweater, then her eyes caught sight of the two photos on the bedside table. "Are these two your niece and nephew?" She asked, picking the pictures up.

"Yeah," he nodded, looking at them fondly. "Vince and Tessa. They're good kids." Tessa looked to be about Adrian's age, while Vince was only slightly older than Roxie.

Selina put the photo down. "I bet they are. And um, sorry we intruded."

Pete nodded. "No problem. You're just lucky it was me you ran into. My brother and sister-in-law like to keep momentos of their kills around."

Selina nodded. "That explains the bodies, doesn't it?"

"Yeah," Pete said morosely. "It does."

They stood in uncomfortable silence for a few minutes and then Selina said, "Well thank you for the clothes. I'll just retrieve my spouse now, and if you'd be so kind as to give us a ride back to our house...?"

Pete nodded. "Sure."

Selina found Klaus, she and Pete got him clothes, and then they got in his car and went back to their house, stopping along the way to get the presents for Roxie's birthday.

* * *

><p>Roxie was sure to wake Selina and Klaus up extra early in honor of her birthday. "Come on, Daddy and Mommy! Get up, get up, get up!"<p>

Selina sat up groggily. Why people in this house couldn't just let her sleep, she had no idea.

"All right, lovely," Klaus told Roxie. "Mommy and I are coming."

Once Roxie was gone, Klaus ruffled Selina's hair. "Don't worry, darling. I'll cover for you." She muttered a thank you as he threw the covers back up over her head. He arrived in the living room where Roxie was perched like a princess high on her pile of presents. Adrian was already there.

"Mom still asleep?" Adrian asked knowingly.

"Yes," Klaus nodded.

Roxie's mouth drooped and she pulled her light pink bathrobe tighter around her. "You mean Mommy's not going to see me open my presents?"

Klaus took her on his lap. "No, she's not. Mommy's not really pleasant to be around this early in the morning and she probably didn't want to put a damper on your festivities."

"Oh," Roxie nodded and then looked at Adrian. "What does that mean?"

"It means that Mom gets grumpy if people wake her up too early and she stayed in bed so that her being grumpy wouldn't make you grumpy."

"Oh," Roxie nodded, pushing her chestnut brown hair out of her eyes. "I think I get it." She kept her eyes on him. "Is Helene coming to my party?"

"Yeah," Adrian nodded.

Roxie grinned. "Is she your _date_ to my party?"

"Yes," Adrian nodded. "She's my date to your party."

* * *

><p>That night, Alistair, Astrid and Helene arrived for Roxie's party holding one present each. Roxie let them in with enthusiasm. "Hi!" She cried. "Thanks for coming to my party!"<p>

"It's no problem," Astrid said. "Where do we put your presents?"

Roxie pointed toward the living room. "On the fireplace, please and thank you."

They began to make their way toward the living room when Adrian appeared at Helene's elbow. "I could take that for you," he said quickly. "It looks heavy."

Helene held the box away. "Thank you," she said icily. "Little airhead cheerleaders might need your help, but I can assure you that I'm capable of handling things on my own."

Adrian sighed. "Can we talk?"

"No," Helene said quickly. "I don't have anything to say to you."

Roxie came back and saw Adrian's sour face. "What's the matter?" She asked. "No frowning on my birthday!"

Helene did her best to smile.

"That doesn't look sincere," Roxie said. "What's the matter?"

"It's nothing," Adrian said quickly. "She's just mad at me and doesn't want to talk to me about it to make it better."

Roxie put her hands on her hips and looked at Helene. "Why not?"

"Because," Helene said, "he started it, that's why. He cheated on me!"

"We aren't even dating because you don't want to!" Adrian said.

"No," Helene shook her head. "I think it's_ you_ who doesn't want to, but you're too scared to just _tell_ me that so you're being a passive aggressive jerk and making moon eyes at cheerleaders in hopes that it'll drive me away!" She took the box and shoved it into his gut, making him lose air for a second. "That's it, isn't it?" She didn't give him a chance to reply, but stalked off while he was still trying to get his breath. Alistair put a hand on his shoulder and then Alistair and Astrid went into the living room.

"Only because you're going to be dead in four months," Adrian said under his breath and then followed Roxie to the living room.

* * *

><p>Things didn't change much for Adrian and Helene over the next few months. Up until just before prom night, she refused to speak to him until he left a bouquet of roses on her front step with a note in them, explaining the reason why he'd acted the way he had. She came running into the kitchen and face to face with her surprised parents when she put the roses on the table.<p>

"Who are those from?" Astrid asked.

"Adrian!" Helene told her. "It turns out the only reason why he did all the bad stuff that he did was so he wouldn't feel so bad after I died. But he's changed his mind, obviously." She paused. "I _am_ still going to die, right, Mom?"

"Yes," Astrid nodded. "And you should be taking it much more seriously than you are. If I knew I had less than a week to live, I'd be terrified!"

"But see, Mom," Helene said patiently, "I'm doing all the things I want to get done in my life before I die. And going to prom with Adrian is one of the things I want to do."

"Well yes," Alistair said. "But if you _skipped_ prom, you would be averting disaster entirely."

Helene put the flowers down on the table and glared at her father. "Dad, don't ask me to skip prom. You're always saying how you want to me to fit in with the other girls despite my powers and normal girls go to prom!"

"Even if it's going to kill you?" Alistair asked incredulously.

"Yes," Helene said resolutely. "Even if it's going to kill me."

* * *

><p>Adrian arrived with more roses when he came to pick her up on prom night, but this time, pink ones to match her dress. He was wearing pinstripe pants and a white shirt under a black blazer. He wasn't wearing a tie.<p>

"You aren't wearing a tie," she pointed out.

"Oh," he looked down. "It's in Dad's car. It was choking me."

"Ah," Helene grinned as they posed for pictures. "I thought you just didn't want to wear it."

"Well," Adrian nodded. "That, too."

After her parents gave her incredibly long hugs and used two boxes of tissues to wipe their eyes, they told her goodbye.

The ride to the school, where they were holding the prom in the gym, was silent. "Are you scared?" Adrian asked her as he parked and then led her inside.

She took a deep breath. "Let's not think of that now," she said. "Let's just think happy thoughts."

They entered the gym and Helene became the recepient of many dirty looks from girls who wished Adrian would have asked them, including his most frequent arm candy, Janie Spitzer the head cheerleader. She was smiling widely as she approached them. Her red hair was piled high on top of her head and she was wearing a gold dress. "Hello," she said, oozing sweetness. "Adrian, you look handsome as always, and Helene...your dress is adorable." She pointed over to the lonely corner of the gym where Anthony sat by himself, dressed entirely in black. "He's been waiting for you," Janie said. "Why don't you go talk to him? I can handle things here."

At that moment, Helene wanted more than anything to turn Janie into a frog, but she restrained herself and went to talk to Anthony. "Hi," she said.

He stood up. "Hi. You look beautiful, you know. Could I have the first dance?" He gestured to couples who were already starting to gather on the dance floor.

"Well," Helene said, "I sort of came with Adrian, and I thought he and I could..."

"Look at him," Anthony nodded toward Adrian, who was surrounded by a gaggle of cheerleaders. "He's otherwise occupied at the moment, so why not?"

Helene watched them for a moment, then sighed sadly. "All right," she said, taking his hand. They did several dances together until Adrian finally saw her and led her away just before it was time to announce the king and queen. Everyone watched in anticipation as the class president stood in front of the crowd: this year's prom king and queen are..." he paused for dramatic effect before grinning. "No surprise here. Adrian Ritcher and Janie Spitzer!"

Everyone cheered as Janie and Adrian made their way up on to the stage. They both looked so happy. As Helene watched them, she felt like she was going to cry. Then she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around. Anthony was standing behind her and he was frowning.

She sniffled. "What's the matter?"

Anthony frowned deeper. "I could kill him for what he did to you."

Helene shook her head. "That's not necessary. I'm fine."

Anthony studied her. "No, you're not. You're miserable. He made you that way. Him and everyone else. I could kill all of them."

Helene's lip trembled. "You're scaring me."

He kissed her hand. "I don't mean to. I would never hurt you. You know that."

She nodded and he moved away. Suddenly, the lights went out and the basketball hoop above Janie's head fell to the floor, crushing her skull. Blood seeped onto the dance floor. Everybody screamed. Janie was dead. The scoreboard blew a fuse, catching the crepe paper decorations alight. Everyone ran from the gym in different directions. Some were trampled in the panic. The power blew out. Pretty soon, the only ones left in the gym were Adrian and Helene. They ran and threw their arms around each other.

"Oh, my god," Helene said.

"What happened?" Adrian asked. "Do you know?"

"Anthony," Helene told him. "He's not too happy with me."

"Why?" Adrian smirked. "'Cause you went to the prom with me and not him? What a dork."

Helene frowned. "It's not that. And Adrian, please don't laugh about this. It's serious! He didn't like watching you up there with Janie and now Janie's dead. He thought that I should have been prom queen and not her."

Adrian looked at her. "I thought that too. And if I could have rigged the voting, I would have."

She smiled.

"So," he said, "Since I'm not going to be dancing with Janie, would you do me the honor and take her place?"

Helene nodded. "I'd be delighted. But first we should probably call the police about Janie's body. We can't just leave it there."

Adrian called the police and explained to them what happened. It was proclaimed a freak accident and nothing more was said. "Now," he said once they were gone, "Can I have this dance?"

He turned on "Hungry Eyes" by Eric Carmen and put his arms around her. As they danced, she never thought she could be so happy, and that she never would be again as long as she lived.

But what they didn't know was that Anthony was watching them. They couldn't see him, but he could see every move that they made. He felt himself becoming angrier and angrier. Then, somebody appeared beside him. He looked over. "Vanessa," he breathed.

"What are you waiting for?" She whispered sharply. "Go ahead and do it."

"I will," he said. "Just a minute!"

Suddenly, more things began to fall from the gym ceiling: stars with sharp edges, paper decorations, the score clock for the basketball team. Adrian and Helene took off running. "We have to get out!" She said. "If we stay in here, we're going to get hurt!"

"No," Anthony cried. "You're not! Only him!'

Helene turned. "What?" She had to shout to be heard over the things that were falling and hitting the gym floor and the rainstorm that had started outside.

"Nothing's going to happen to you," Anthony said. He glared at Adrian. "Just let me kill _him_ and then this will all be over."

"No," Helene said, her voice shaking. "You can't kill him."

Anthony grinned. "I assure you I can."

"Well not if you can't catch us first!" She grabbed Adrian's hand and they went running through the dark school, lights flickering on and off, lockers slamming open and closed, windows breaking, until they managed to get out the main door. They ran out to the main parking lot and began looking frantically for the keys to Klaus' car. "Hurry up!" Helene cried. "He could be here any minute! I don't think I hit him too hard with that locker door!"

They managed to get into the car and Helene instructed him to drive toward her house. But just as they were pulling out of the parking lot, they realized Anthony was following them in his car. "We have to take the bridge," Helene said to Adrian. "It'll be quicker."

"Are you sure...?" Adrian trailed off.

"Who cares?" She said quickly. "Just do it, Adrian. Please!"

They reached the bridge, which was old and shaky. They drove onto it and it shook a little. When Anthony's front wheels got on, it shook a little more. Helene looked at Adrian. "We have to get out of the car. If lightening strikes the bridge, the car will go down with it."

"Okay," he said, and watched her unlock it and stumble out onto the rotting planks. She seemed all right, so he got out after her, but just as he shut the door and started toward the middle where she was, a bolt of lightening struck the spot on the bridge where she stood, electrocuting her and sending that part of the bridge, along with her body, down into the water. Her body floated away from him. Adrian meant to go in after her, but before he could, Anthony did it first. He threw himself into the water and let himself sink. Once Anthony's head disappeared beneath the water, Adrian collapsed against Klaus' car, his clothing soaked from the rain, and and cried. Then, he got in the car and after taking a deep breath, drove home to call Alistair and Astrid. He turned on the radio so he wouldn't have to be alone with his thoughts. The song that came on was "Helena" by My Chemical Romance. It was on its last line: "What's the worst that I could say? Things are better if I stay..." Adrian sang along with the last words: "So long and goodnight, so long, not goodnight."

A/n: Coming up next: Dark Angel 3: Devils Love Angels


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